[House Hearing, 113 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
PREPARING TODAY'S STUDENTS FOR TOMOR-
ROW'S JOBS: A DISCUSSION ON CAREER AND
TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD,
ELEMENTARY, AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
AND THE WORKFORCE
U.S. House of Representatives
ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013
__________
Serial No. 113-34
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and the Workforce
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COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE
JOHN KLINE, Minnesota, Chairman
Thomas E. Petri, Wisconsin George Miller, California,
Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, Senior Democratic Member
California Robert E. Andrews, New Jersey
Joe Wilson, South Carolina Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott,
Virginia Foxx, North Carolina Virginia
Tom Price, Georgia Ruben Hinojosa, Texas
Kenny Marchant, Texas Carolyn McCarthy, New York
Duncan Hunter, California John F. Tierney, Massachusetts
David P. Roe, Tennessee Rush Holt, New Jersey
Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Susan A. Davis, California
Tim Walberg, Michigan Raul M. Grijalva, Arizona
Matt Salmon, Arizona Timothy H. Bishop, New York
Brett Guthrie, Kentucky David Loebsack, Iowa
Scott DesJarlais, Tennessee Joe Courtney, Connecticut
Todd Rokita, Indiana Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio
Larry Bucshon, Indiana Jared Polis, Colorado
Trey Gowdy, South Carolina Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,
Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania Northern Mariana Islands
Martha Roby, Alabama John A. Yarmuth, Kentucky
Joseph J. Heck, Nevada Frederica S. Wilson, Florida
Susan W. Brooks, Indiana Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon
Richard Hudson, North Carolina
Luke Messer, Indiana
Juliane Sullivan, Staff Director
Jody Calemine, Minority Staff Director
------
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD,
ELEMENTARY, AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
TODD ROKITA, Indiana, Chairman
John Kline, Minnesota Carolyn McCarthy, New York,
Thomas E. Petri, Wisconsin Ranking Minority Member
Virginia Foxx, North Carolina Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott,
Kenny Marchant, Texas Virginia
Duncan Hunter, California Susan A. Davis, California
David P. Roe, Tennessee Raul M. Grijalva, Arizona
Glenn Thompson, Pennsylvania Marcia L. Fudge, Ohio
Martha Roby, Alabama Jared Polis, Colorado
Susan W. Brooks, Indiana Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,
Northern Mariana Islands
Frederica S. Wilson, Florida
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Hearing held on September 20, 2013............................... 1
Statement of Members:
Grijalva, Hon. Raul M., a Representative in Congress from the
State of Arizona........................................... 4
Prepared statement of.................................... 5
McCarthy, Hon. Carolyn, ranking minority member, Subcommittee
on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education,
prepared statement of...................................... 32
Rokita, Hon. Todd, Chairman, Subcommittee on Early Childhood,
Elementary, and Secondary Education........................ 1
Prepared statement of.................................... 3
Statement of Witnesses:
Bargas, Alvin M., president, Associated Builders and
Contractors (ABC), Pelican chapter......................... 6
Prepared statement of.................................... 8
Britt, Frank F., CEO, Penn Foster............................ 21
Prepared statement of.................................... 23
Fischer, John, deputy commissioner, transformation &
innovation, Vermont Agency of Education.................... 15
Prepared statement of.................................... 17
Harrity, Dr. Sheila M., principal, Worcester Technical High
School, Worcester, Massachusetts........................... 10
Prepared statement of.................................... 11
Additional Submissions:
Mr. Bargas:
``Building Louisiana's Craft Workforce,'' Internet
address to............................................. 53
Presentation, dated Oct. 2006, ``Recommendations for
Confronting the Skilled Construction Workforce Shortage
in Louisiana''......................................... 53
Response to questions submitted for the record........... 41
Mr. Britt, response to questions submitted for the record.... 43
Mr. Fischer:
National Association of State Directors of Career
Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc), prepared
statement of........................................... 58
``Reflect, Transform, Lead: A New Vision for Career
Technical Education,'' Internet address to............. 60
Response to questions submitted for the record........... 46
Mr. Grijalva:
Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE),
prepared statement of.................................. 32
Questions submitted for the record to:
Mr. Fischer.......................................... 46
Dr. Harrity.......................................... 49
Dr. Harrity:
Article, dated May 2011, in Principal Leadership,
``Laying the Foundation for Future Success''........... 61
Response to questions submitted for the record........... 49
Chairman Rokita:
Letter, dated Sept. 20, 2013, from Independent Electrical
Contractors (IEC)...................................... 51
Letter, dated Sept. 19, 2013, from the National
Association of Home Builders (NAHB).................... 53
Questions submitted for the record to:
Mr. Bargas........................................... 41
Mr. Britt............................................ 43
Mr. Fischer.......................................... 46
Dr. Harrity.......................................... 49
Thompson, Hon. Glenn, a Representative in Congress from the
State of Pennsylvania:
Langevin, Hon. Jim, a Representative in Congress from the
State of Rhode Island, prepared statement of........... 30
Questions submitted for the record to:
Mr. Bargas........................................... 41
Mr. Britt............................................ 43
Mr. Fischer.......................................... 46
Dr. Harrity.......................................... 49
PREPARING TODAY'S STUDENTS FOR
TOMORROW'S JOBS: A DISCUSSION ON
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
AND TRAINING PROGRAMS
----------
Friday, September 20, 2013
U.S. House of Representatives
Subcommittee on Early Childhood,
Elementary, and Secondary Education
Committee on Education and the Workforce
Washington, DC
----------
The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:01 a.m., in
room 2175, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Todd Rokita
[chairman of the subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Rokita, Kline, Roe, Thompson,
Brooks, Davis, and Grijalva.
Staff Present: Katherine Bathgate, Deputy Press Secretary;
James Bergeron, Director of Education and Human Services
Policy; Heather Couri, Deputy Director of Education and Human
Services Policy; Amy Raaf Jones, Education Policy Counsel and
Senior Advisor; Rosemary Lahasky, Professional Staff Member;
Krisann Pearce, General Counsel; Dan Shorts, Legislative
Assistant; Nicole Sizemore, Deputy Press Secretary; Alex
Sollberger, Communications Director; Alissa Strawcutter, Deputy
Clerk; Brad Thomas, Senior Education Policy Advisor; Tylease
Alli, Minority Clerk/Intern and Fellow Coordinator; Jeremy
Ayers, Minority Education Policy Advisor; Kelly Broughan,
Minority Education Policy Associate; Jody Calemine, Minority
Staff Director; Jacque Chevalier, Minority Education Policy
Advisor; Tiffany Edwards, Minority Press Secretary for
Education; Jamie Fasteau, Minority Director of Education
Policy; Liz Hollis, Minority Special Assistant to Staff
Director; Eunice Ikene, Minority Staff Assistant; and Megan
O'Reilly, Minority General Counsel.
Chairman Rokita. Good morning. A quorum being present, the
subcommittee will come to order. Thank you for joining us today
for our hearing to discuss career and technical education
training programs under the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act. I would like to send a warm welcome to
our witnesses whose testimony will be invaluable to our efforts
to reauthorize and strengthen the law.
The Perkins Act provides Federal funding to States to
support career and technical education or what we call in the
business CTE programs. These programs offer high school and
community college students the opportunity to gain the skills
and experience necessary to compete for jobs in a broad range
of fields, including health care, transportation, construction,
hospitality, and that is just to name a few.
A number of state school districts and post-secondary
institutions have implemented truly exceptional CTE programs.
In Massachusetts, for example, Worcester--I am sure I am
mispronouncing that being from the Midwest--Technical High
School has partnered with Tufts University to provide
affordable animal care for low-income families. The university
funds a resident veterinarian to operate an onsite clinic at
the high school, and the tech students get to work at the
clinic and obtain hands-on experience. We are fortunate to have
with us the principal who will share more information about
this initiative during her testimony.
To prepare our students for high demand jobs in my home
State of Indiana, Ivy Tech's Ivy Institute of Technology offers
automotive, manufacturing, welding, and other specialized
training programs that allow students to learn new career
skills in just 40 weeks. In Wisconsin, Gateway Technical
College offers more than 60 career education programs,
including a medical assistant degree program that provides
students with real world clinical, administrative, and
laboratory training.
However, despite these shining examples, the Bureau of
Labor Statistics recently reported more than 8 million
Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are still looking for
jobs. By strengthening the career and technical education
programs funded under the Perkins Act, we can help. We can help
more of these young people gain an edge in the workforce.
As we begin our discussions on improving the act we must
first assess the Federal role in career and technical
education. To receive funding through the act States with CTE
programs must comply with a series of Federal reporting
requirements, some of which are duplicative to those under the
Workforce Investment Act and the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act. We cannot allow redundant Federal mandates to
make it harder for States to offer the career training
opportunities that young people need.
We must also discuss ways to ensure CTE programs are
actually effective. States and schools must have the
flexibility to coordinate with the local business community to
develop and implement programs that prepare students for in-
demand jobs. Additionally, CTE course work should provide
students with opportunities to obtain relevant certificates,
credits, and hands-on experience that will allow them to more
seamlessly integrate into the workforce.
Recognizing the success of CTE programs depends upon
effective teachers. We must examine ways to help states recruit
and retain educators with valuable technical knowledge and
experience. A 2010 study released by the National Association
of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium
identified dozens of States that are struggling to attract CTE
teachers in several key career sectors, including health
sciences, manufacturing, agriculture, and the rapidly growing
STEM fields.
As we work to rebuild our economy after the recent
recession, strengthening career and technical education
programs will help put more Americans on the path to a
prosperous future. In the coming weeks this committee will
discuss a range of proposals to improve the Perkins Act,
including those offered in President Obama's Blueprint to
Transform Career and Technical Education, and I look forward to
beginning that discussion right now.
Once again, I would like to thank our panel of witnesses
for joining us. And I would now yield to my distinguished
colleague from Arizona, Raul Grijalva, for his opening remarks.
[The statement of Chairman Rokita follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Todd Rokita, Chairman, Subcommittee on Early
Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education
The Perkins Act provides federal funding to states to support
career and technical education (or CTE) programs. These programs offer
high school and community college students the opportunity to gain the
skills and experience necessary to compete for jobs in a broad range of
fields, including health care, transportation, construction, and
hospitality, just to name a few.
A number of states, school districts, and postsecondary
institutions have implemented truly exceptional CTE programs. In
Massachusetts, Worcester Technical High School has partnered with Tufts
University to provide affordable animal care for low-income families.
The university funds a resident veterinarian to operate an on-site
clinic at the high school, and Worcester Tech students get to work at
the clinic and obtain hands-on experience. We are fortunate to have
with us today the principal of Worcester Tech who will share more
information about this initiative during her testimony.
To prepare students for high-demand jobs in my home state of
Indiana, Ivy Tech's Ivy Institute of Technology offers automotive,
manufacturing, welding, and other specialized training programs that
allow students to learn new career skills in just 40 weeks. And in
Wisconsin, Gateway Technical College offers more than 60 career
education programs, including a Medical Assistant degree program that
provides students with real-world clinical, administrative, and
laboratory training.
However, despite these shining examples, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics recently reported more than 8 million Americans between the
ages of 16 and 24 are still looking for jobs. By strengthening the
career and technical education programs funded under the Perkins Act,
we can help more of these young people gain an edge in the workforce.
As we begin our discussions on improving the Perkins Act, we must
first assess the federal role in career and technical education. To
receive funding through the Perkins Act, states with CTE programs must
comply with a series of federal reporting requirements, some of which
are duplicative to those under the Workforce Investment Act and the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act. We cannot allow redundant
federal mandates to make it harder for states to offer the career
training opportunities our young people need.
We must also discuss ways to ensure CTE programs are effective.
States and schools must have the flexibility to coordinate with the
local business community to develop and implement programs that prepare
students for in-demand jobs. Additionally, CTE coursework should
provide students with opportunities to obtain relevant certificates,
credits, and hands-on experience that will allow them to more
seamlessly integrate into the workforce or get ahead in their quest to
earn a postsecondary degree.
Recognizing the success of CTE programs depends upon effective
teachers, we must examine ways to help states recruit and retain
educators with valuable technical knowledge and experience. A 2010
study released by the National Association of State Directors of Career
Technical Education Consortium identified dozens of states that are
struggling to attract CTE teachers in several key career sectors,
including health sciences, manufacturing, agriculture, and the rapidly-
growing STEM fields.
As we work to rebuild our economy after the recent recession,
strengthening career and technical education programs will help put
more Americans on the path to a prosperous future. In the coming weeks,
this committee will discuss a range of proposals to improve the Perkins
Act, including those offered in President Obama's ``Blueprint to
Transform Career and Technical Education,'' and I look forward to
beginning that discussion today.
______
Mr. Grijalva. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank
you for the hearing. And I agree it is important to initiate
this discussion about this very important component of
education in our country. Today's hearing will showcase
innovations in delivery of career and technical education
programs, many of which are funded under the Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006.
Career technical education programs prepare millions of
Americans to succeed in both college and career, and gives them
access to modern job skills they need and that employers are
demanding. This act has supported the development of academic
and career and technical skills among secondary and post-
secondary education students of all backgrounds. Helping to
prepare them for in-demand and high-paying jobs is the goal.
High quality, relevant, and rigorous CTE is imperative for
our Nation to stay competitive and to build a stronger economy.
By ensuring that students not only graduate from high school
college- and career-ready, but also succeed in college and the
global economy, we are in that way securing our Nation's
future. Of the 30 fastest growing occupations, about two-thirds
require post-secondary education or training and that need is
projected to grow over the next years. In the State of Arizona
there are currently 70 CTE programs with over 229,000 students
enrolled, of which 30 percent are Latino and over 40 percent of
those students are of color.
In Arizona investment in CTE programs has diminished. After
the harmful sequestration cuts, public funding for CTE is at a
historic low despite our State consistently performing well on
indicators of student success. We shouldn't cut funding from
programs that mean the difference between getting ahead and
falling behind for workers all over this Nation. We should
support quality programs that allow students to explore
different career interests and work-based learning
opportunities that help prepare them for both the workforce and
further post-secondary education. We know there is a skills
gap, we know career technical education is integral to closing
that gap.
Evaluations of career academies across the country have
demonstrated that offering students academically rigorous
curricula embedded in career-related programs can reduce high
school dropout rates and prepare students for high-earning,
high-skilled careers. High school students who graduate from
career academies make on the average 11 percent more per year
than the non-career academy counterparts. One in four who earn
a post-secondary certificate eventually earn a 4-year college
degree. Higher earnings help our overall economy, increasing
consumer spending and strengthening and growing the middle
class.
I welcome our distinguished panel of witnesses, as they
have some of the most extensive insights into these programs.
We are grateful they are sharing their knowledge. And I look
forward to continued collaboration with the majority to address
reauthorization of this very vital and important program.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back, and thank you.
Chairman Rokita. Thank you Mr. Grijalva.
[The statement of Mr. Grijalva follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Raul M. Grijalva, a Representative in
Congress From the State of Arizona
Good morning and thank you, Chairman Rokita.
Today's hearing will showcase innovations in delivery of career and
technical education programs, many of which are funded under the Carl
D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006.
Career technical education programs prepare millions of Americans
to succeed in both college and career and gives them access to the
modern job skills they need and that employers demand. This act has
supported the development of academic and career and technical skills
among secondary and postsecondary education students of all
backgrounds; helping to prepare them for in-demand and high paying
jobs. High quality, relevant, and rigorous CTE is imperative for our
nation to stay competitive and build a stronger economy. By ensuring
that students not only graduate from high school, college- and career-
ready, but also succeed in college and the global economy, we are
securing our nation's future.
Of the 30 fastest-growing occupations, about two-thirds require
postsecondary education or training and projected to grow over the
years. In the state of Arizona, there are currently 70 CTE programs
with over 229,569 students enrolled, of which 30% are Hispanic
students.
In Arizona, investment in CTE programs has diminished. After the
harmful sequestration cuts, public funding for CTE is at historic lows,
despite our state consistently performing on indicators of student
success. We shouldn't cut funding for programs that mean the difference
between getting ahead and falling behind for workers all over the
country. We should support quality programs that allow students to
explore different career interests and work-based learning
opportunities that help prepare them for both the workforce and further
postsecondary education. We know there's a skills gap. We know Career
technical education is integral to closing that gap.
Evaluations of career academies across the country have
demonstrated that offering students academically rigorous curricula
embedded in career-related programs can reduce high school drop-out
rates and prepare students for high-earning and high-skilled careers.
High school students who graduate from career academies
make on average 11 percent more per year than their non-career academy
counterparts.
One in four who earn a postsecondary certificate
eventually earn a four-year college degree.
Higher earnings help our overall economy, increasing
consumer spending and strengthening the middle class.
I welcome our distinguished panel of witnesses, as they have some
of the most extensive insights into these programs, we are grateful
they are sharing their knowledge. And I look forward to continued
collaboration with the Majority to address reauthorization of this
important program.
______
Chairman Rokita. Pursuant to Committee Rule 7(c), all
subcommittee members will be permitted to submit written
statements to be included in the permanent hearing record. And
without objection, the hearing record will remain open for 14
days to allow statements, questions for the record, and other
extraneous material referenced during the hearing to be
submitted into the official record.
I just would like to remind members, if and when we adjourn
early, that as usual they may submit questions for the record.
And I say that because we are not sure when votes will come
today. They may come as early as 10:30 or so. If that is the
case we will have to adjourn, the hearing will not be
returning. The witnesses are nodding yes like they have heard
that story before.
So thank you, and appreciate you all coming again.
It is now my pleasure to introduce our distinguished panel
of witnesses. Mr. Alvin Bargas is the president of the Pelican
Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors. He has been an
active participant in ABC since 1979, first as a volunteer
member, then chairman of the Pelican Chapter, and a member of
the chapter national board of directors.
Dr. Sheila Harrity is the principal of Worcester Technical
High School--I am teachable--the largest of seven high schools
in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. She was most recently
selected as the Massachusetts principal of the year for 2014
and as the MetLife National Association of Secondary School
Principals 2014 national principal of year.
Welcome to both of you.
Next we have Mr. John Fischer, who is the deputy
commissioner for transformation and innovation at the Vermont
Agency of Education. Mr. Fischer has previously held positions
at Plymouth State University and in the New Hampshire Community
College System. He currently serves as president of the
National Association of State Directors of Career Technical
Education Consortium.
Mr. Fischer, welcome.
And Mr. Frank Britt is the chief executive officer at Penn
Foster, Incorporated. He also currently serves as the operating
advisor at Bain Capital Ventures. He has over 20 years of
experience focused on helping grow companies in the education,
media, technology, industrial, and consumer goods industries,
including a variety of senior-level positions at IBM and
Accenture.
Welcome, Mr. Britt.
Before I recognize each of you to provide your testimony
explain let me briefly explain our lighting system, and really
that is sometimes more for us up here than you there. You will
each have 5 minutes to present your testimony. When you begin
the light in front of you will turn green, when 1 minute is
left it will turn yellow, when your time has expired the light
will turn red. At that point I ask you to wrap up your remarks
as best as you are able.
After everyone has testified, members here will each have 5
minutes to ask questions of the panel. And with that I would
now like to recognize Mr. Bargas for 5 minutes.
Sir.
STATEMENT OF ALVIN BARGAS, PRESIDENT, PELICAN CHAPTER,
ASSOCIATED BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS, INC.
Mr. Bargas. Thank you, Chairman Rokita, Congressman
Grijalva, and members of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood,
Elementary, and Secondary Education. My name is Alvin Bargas,
and I serve as president of Associated Builders and
Contractors, Pelican Chapter, located in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. The Pelican Chapter's volunteer leaders are
committed to training a safe and highly skilled construction
workforce. The chapter offers construction craft education
programs at its Baton Rouge and Lake Charles training centers
to currently more than 1,900 students.
Since 1983, ABC member companies and industry-related
partners have funded more than $43 million in training costs.
ABC has partnership agreements with 43 high schools in 17
districts, which includes 76 classes with more than 1,100
students per year in demand crafts such as welding and pipe
fitting. We also engage high school students through craft
competitions in a 3-day Build Your Future event. In addition to
funding, ABC members alone donate more than $50,000 per year in
materials and equipment and volunteer 1,600 hours-plus annually
in the classrooms.
Louisiana's construction industry now faces a workforce
challenge. Project announcements in excess of $60 billion in
new construction, plus the expansion of existing facilities, is
driving the need for skilled workers. Retirements, career
changes, et cetera, will drive demand for an additional 51,300
workers. Even with an exploding workforce demand for skilled
construction workforce, public high schools continue to focus
on 4-year college prep curriculums. While this pathway is
important, students should be offered opportunities to learn
skills that prepare them for high-paying, in-demand careers
that do not require a Bachelors degree.
That said, the expansion of career and technical education
options should never come at the expense of academic rigor or
quality instruction and must clearly align with industry needs
and post-secondary credentials. ABC and its partners are
leading the charge to align our education system with future
workforce demands. Construction industry and education
stakeholders established a Craft Workforce Development
Taskforce which created a strategic road map entitled
``Building Louisiana's Craft Workforce.''
The task force has ensured that an industry-recognized and
academically rigorous construction CTE curriculum will be
consistently delivered across Louisiana's training providers.
The Louisiana Community and Technical College System and the
Louisiana Department of Education have adopted the curriculum
of the NCCER, which blends classroom instruction with hands-on
training that articulates to post-secondary credential and
community college programs. The training providers are focused
on leveraging capacity at high schools, as well as leveraging
assets such as facilities and funding with private providers.
Training delivery includes compressed schedules for industry-
based certification and even weekend alternatives.
The Louisiana State Government has also enacted innovative
education reforms such as Course Choice, which gives high
school students the option to choose from a diverse range of
courses, including core academics, college preparation, and
career training. Through Course Choice students can customize
their learning path by gaining industry-based certifications in
addition to earning high school and college credits. The
program provides all Louisiana students equal access to career
training and a head start on a post-secondary credential and
ultimately a career.
Course Choice can serve as a catalyst to recruit and train
capable young people to either step into higher wage
construction jobs or continue on to complete post-secondary
courses. To achieve this, Course Choice provides that students,
parents, and school counselors collaborate to make sure
students register in courses that are appropriate for their
age, interest, and capabilities. As a Course Choice provider,
ABC is offering electrical, pipefitting, and welding to 34
students.
Our challenge ahead is to focus our current resources to
support CTE programs for in-demand industries that provide
students with innovative and flexible training options that
stretch from high school to advanced post-secondary
credentials. This includes promoting new and existing
partnerships between industry, government, and education
providers while establishing clear accountability indicators
and easily understood measures of success.
On behalf of the Associated Builders and Contractors
Pelican Chapter, I would like to thank the committee for
holding today's hearing on this very important subject. Thank
you.
Chairman Rokita. Excellent, Mr. Bargas. Thank you.
[The statement of Mr. Bargas follows:]
Prepared Statement of Alvin M. Bargas, President, Associated Builders
and Contractors (ABC), Pelican Chapter
Chairman Rokita, Congressman Grijalva, and members of the
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education:
Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to testify before you
today on ``Preparing Today's Students for Tomorrow's Jobs: A Discussion
on Career and Technical Education and Training Programs.''
My name is Alvin Bargas. I serve as the president of Associated
Builders and Contractors (ABC) Pelican Chapter located in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. ABC is a national nonprofit trade association representing
22,000 members from more than 19,000 construction and industry-related
firms. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC and its 72 chapters
help members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely,
ethically, profitably and for the betterment of the communities in
which ABC and its members work. The Pelican Chapter has a total
membership of 438 companies.
The Pelican Chapter's volunteer leaders are committed to training a
safe, highly skilled construction workforce. Education and training
will always be a win-win situation for both the employer and the
employee. With nationally accredited curricula developed for the
construction industry, the Pelican Chapter is training hundreds of men
and women in industry-related specialties to meet and exceed the most
exacting standards in the country. With the clout and knowledge
provided by some of the most qualified instructors in the U.S., ABC
trained workers tend to receive higher wages and experience more job
satisfaction and greater job retention.
The Pelican Chapter offers construction craft education programs at
its Baton Rouge and Lake Charles training centers. Currently, the
training centers have a combined enrollment of more than 1,900 high
school and adult students. Since 1983, ABC Pelican Chapter member
contractors and industry-related partners have privately funded more
than $43,000,000 in training costs.
Further, ABC has developed partnership agreements with 43 high
schools in 17 school districts. This partnership includes 76 classes
with more than 1,100 students per year in high-demand trades such as
welding, electrical, carpentry and pipefitting. The Pelican Chapter
also engages high school students through craft competitions, tuition-
free summer training courses, career counseling and a three-day Build
Your Future event that reaches more than 900 students. These
achievements would not exist without the committed support of the
construction industry. In addition to funding, ABC members alone donate
more than $50,000 per year in materials and equipment. More
importantly, our members volunteer 1,600 hours per year in classrooms
and when students graduate from school, ABC contractors put them to
work.
In the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Louisiana faced a major
challenge of recruiting and training a skilled workforce to rebuild the
state. In response, ABC brought together construction industry and
education stakeholders, including Louisiana Community and Technical
College System (LCTCS), Louisiana Department of Education, organized
labor, Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC), Board of Supervisors of
Higher Education, as well as industry groups such as the Greater Baton
Rouge Industry Alliance, New Orleans Business Roundtable and the
Southwest Louisiana Construction Users Council--all of which represent
Louisiana's vital refining and petrochemical end users. With ABC's
leadership, the coalition's mission was to create a strategy to
recruit, train, and retain a safe, skilled and productive construction
workforce. This strategy was published in ``Recommendations for
Confronting the Skilled Construction Workforce Shortage in Louisiana''
in October 2006.
Louisiana's construction industry now faces another workforce
challenge due to new technologies in the extraction of natural gas and
a renaissance in oil refining and chemical production. Project
announcements in excess of $60 billion in new construction, plus the
expansion of existing facilities is driving the need for skilled
workers. The LWC is predicting 35,000 new workers over the next four to
five years may be necessary. This challenge will be exacerbated by our
aging workforce--an estimated 17 percent of current construction
workers nationwide will retire in the next decade. Retirements coupled
with career changes, promotions to management, business formations,
etc. will drive demand in Louisiana for an additional 51,300 workers,
assuming an attrition rate of only 10 percent.
Even with an exploding demand for a skilled construction workforce,
most secondary school systems are not structured to deliver a high
level of technical education. Public high schools almost exclusively
focus on the four-year college prep curriculum for all students. While
this pathway is important, students should be offered opportunities to
learn skills that prepare them for the many high paying, in-demand
careers that do not require a bachelor's degree. That said, the
expansion of Career and Technical Education (CTE) options should never
come at the expense of academic rigor or quality instruction and must
clearly align with industry workforce needs and post-secondary
credentials. Louisiana must prepare its young people for success in the
classroom and in the workplace.
In Louisiana, ABC and its partners are once again leading the
charge to make our education system more closely aligned with future
workforce demands. In collaboration with construction industry and
education stakeholders and organized labor, a Craft Workforce
Development Taskforce (Taskforce) was established. This broad-based
Taskforce has created a strategic roadmap titled ``Building Louisiana's
Craft Workforce.''
I am pleased to report that we are already making progress in this
effort. In a major step forward, the Taskforce has ensured that an
industry recognized and academically rigorous construction CTE
curriculum will be consistently delivered across Louisiana's training
providers. In an effort to bring consistency and transferability to the
curriculum that training providers use in the classrooms and labs, the
LCTCS and the Louisiana Department of Education have adopted the
curriculum of the NCCER, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) education
foundation. This curriculum blends classroom instruction with hands-on
training that articulates to post-secondary credential and community
college programs.
Aligning industry-recognized curriculum with community and
technical colleges, high schools, and ABC allows students and
instructors to easily transition from one provider to another depending
on personal needs and capacity requirements.
With facilities statewide in strategic locations, the LCTCS serves
as the lead training partner. Training providers are focused on
leveraging capacity at high schools as well as leveraging assets such
as facilities and funding with private providers, which includes ABC
and the AFL-CIO. Training schedules have been amended to accommodate
varying demand, such as compressed schedules for industry based
certifications (NCCER and American Welding Society) and evening and
weekend class alternatives.
Training providers are also sharing a pool of instructors that can
be deployed to various locations based on need. Web enhancements are
being completed by the LCTCS and LWC.
The Louisiana state government also is enacting innovative
education reforms that will provide better opportunities for students
to access CTE. Louisiana's Governor and state legislators collaborated
with the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to create
Course Choice, which gives high school students the option to choose
from a diverse range of courses--including core academics, college
preparation and career training--that are offered by a range of
providers.
Through Course Choice, students can customize their learning path
to prepare for higher education and careers. The program offers them
opportunities to gain industry-based certifications, in addition to
earning high school and college credit. Course Choice is an innovative
approach to provide all Louisiana students equal access to not only
career training, but a head-start on a postsecondary credential and
ultimately a career.
ABC believes that innovative reforms like Course Choice can serve
as a catalyst to recruit and train capable young people to either step
into a higher-wage construction job based on their skills or continue
on to complete the post-secondary courses they need to advance in their
careers. To achieve this, Course Choice provides that students, parents
and school counselors collaborate to make sure students register in
courses that are appropriate for their age, interests and capabilities.
From approximately 100 applicants, the BESE and the Department of
Education selected 21 course providers, including the Pelican Chapter
and LCTCS, which reach more than 3,000 Louisiana students. As of August
2013, ABC is offering electrical, pipefitting and welding Course Choice
programs and has about 34 students enrolled.
Building America's construction workforce to meet demand is going
to require new and innovative ideas, as well as cooperative
partnerships among stakeholders from a myriad of public agencies and
private entities.
The challenge ahead is to focus our current resources to support
CTE programs for in-demand industries that provide students with
innovative and flexible training options that stretch from high school
to advanced postsecondary credentials. This effort includes promoting
new and existing partnerships between industries, government, and
education providers while establishing clear accountability indicators
and easily understood measures of success.
There is a renaissance in the foundations on which Louisiana
delivers career and technical education. It is a renaissance that will
touch thousands of Louisiana youth, not to mention underemployed and
unemployed adults. We are on the cusp of doing our part to rebuild
America's middle class by putting people to work in high paying careers
in construction.
On behalf of Associated Builders and Contractors Pelican Chapter,
I'd like to thank the subcommittee for holding today's hearing on this
important subject. Mr. Chairman, this concludes my formal remarks. I am
prepared to answer any questions you and the other members of the
subcommittee may have.
______
Chairman Rokita. Good morning, Dr. Harrity. You are
recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF SHEILA HARRITY, PRINCIPAL,
WORCESTER TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
Ms. Harrity. Chairman Rokita, Congressman Grijalva, and
members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting me here
today to discuss career and technical education and training
programs. My name is Sheila Harrity, and I am the proud
principal of Worcester Technical High School in Worcester,
Mass. I also just received a huge honor of being selected as
the 2014 MetLife/NASSP National High School Principal of the
Year.
Worcester is the second-largest city in New England, and
Worcester Tech is the largest of seven high schools in the
city. We have 1,400 students in 24 different technical programs
within 4 small learning communities. Sixty-three percent of our
students qualify for free or reduced lunch, 19 percent are
special ed, and the ethnic backgrounds reflect the city
demographics.
Previously Worcester Tech was the lowest-performing high
school in our city and one of the poorest-performing vocational
schools in our State. Presently we have a 92 percent first-time
passing rate in English language arts, 84 percent in math, 96
percent in science, and last year 96.4 percent of our students
graduated in 4 years. The achievement gap has decreased
significantly and in some groups is nonexistent.
Students are prepared for success with a rigorous
curriculum, including a variety of advanced placement courses
that combines academic with hands-on experience in school and
in the workplace through internship and cooperative educational
opportunities. They graduate with all their academic
requirements and with industry recognized national
certifications. Our students are graduating college and career
ready. Eighty-two percent went on to higher education, 13
percent went directly into the world of work, and 2 percent
joined the military.
Worcester Tech has over than 350 business and industry
advisors that contribute to the direction and success of the
school and its students. The advisors consist of
representatives of local business and industry related to the
programs, organized labor, and post-secondary institutions,
parents, guardians, students, and representatives from
registered apprenticeship programs. They are integral partners
to our program providing direction on training, equipment,
certification, licensure, education, and career opportunities.
Each technical program works to provide industry-recognized
credentials, as well as college credits to expand each
student's opportunity for post-secondary success.
Our allied health students graduate with a high school
diploma and seven college credits, a certificate in allied
health, certification in CPR, first aid, certified nursing
assistants, home health aide, and EMT. In our IT program
students graduate with up to 18 college credits from
Northeastern University, as well as being certified in A+ and a
Certified Cisco Networking Associate.
With the assistance of business and higher education
partners we receive new equipment at no or reduced cost while
the sponsors benefit by having students trained on their latest
equipment. A donation from Harr-Toyota has allowed us to create
a 16-bay service center furnished and equipped with state-of-
the-art automotive technology servicing over 250 vehicles a
month.
We are committed to building partnerships with local 2- and
4-year colleges and universities. Our Tufts at Tech animal
clinic was created by a school partnership with Tufts
University and provides affordable animal care for low-income
families in the Worcester area. Tufts University funds a
veterinarian to run the clinic and our students work alongside
the doctor providing animal care.
Two years ago Worcester Tech became a STEM Career and
College Innovation School, which created a pipeline for our
students to obtain STEM jobs upon graduation or study STEM-
related fields in college. With this 21st century focus we are
training students to meet the employment demands of the area's
growing biomedical, technology, and manufacturing industries.
These partnerships will keep jobs in Worcester for another 100
years and keep our city strong and viable.
Through the leadership efforts of our manufacturing and
construction instructors our students worked alongside elite
college engineering students from Worcester Polytechnical
Institute to develop and build a modular, zero-energy home that
competed in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon,
which was held in Datong, China. This project helped them hone
their skills on the latest technologies and their
representative fields, and see the fruit of their labors in a
truly once-in-a-lifetime global cultural experience.
Successful technical schools require strong links to the
community, business and industry, and academic institutions.
Our school's success and the city's success are intertwined.
Worcester Tech is part of an economic engine coordinating the
needs and desires of industry for our highly trained, adaptable
workforce with the needs and desires of our students to secure
good-paying, rewarding jobs in the field of their choice.
Mr. Rokita, this concludes my prepared testimony, but I
would be happy to answer any questions you or other committee
members may have. Thank you.
Chairman Rokita. Thank you, Doctor.
[The statement of Ms. Harrity follows:]
Prepared Statement of Dr. Sheila M. Harrity, Principal, Worcester
Technical High School, Worcester, Massachusetts
Chairman Rokita, Congressman Grijalva, and members of the
subcommittee: Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss career
and technical education and training programs. My name is Sheila
Harrity and I am the proud principal of Worcester Technical High School
in Worcester, Massachusetts. I also just received the huge honor of
being selected as the 2014 MetLife/NASSP National High School Principal
of the Year and would like to speak on behalf of my fellow middle and
high school leaders.
Worcester, Massachusetts is the second largest city in New England.
Worcester Technical High School is the largest of seven high schools in
the City of Worcester. It has 1400 students in 24 technical programs
within four small learning communities. The demographics of Worcester
Tech consist of: 53% female, 47% male, 63% qualify for free or reduced
lunch, 19% are special needs, ethnic backgrounds reflect the city
demographics. Worcester Technical High School has met Adequate Yearly
Progress (AYP) for ``No Child Left Behind'' for five out of the past
six years. We exceeded our benchmarks in English, mathematics, and
every sub-group. In 2012 and 2013 WTHS also met the Progress and
Performance Index (PPI) both in the Annual PPI and the Cumulative PPI.
In the past seven (7) years at Worcester Technical High School,
students' Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam
scores have risen significantly. In English Language Arts, 92% of the
students scored in the advanced/proficient categories, an increase of
65%, with a less than 1% failure rate. In mathematics, 84% of the
students scored in the advanced/proficient categories, an increase of
49%, with a 2% failure rate. In science, 96% of the current 10th and
11th grade students passed with a 4% failure rate. Presently, the Class
of 2012 has a 96.4% four year graduation rate with a 1.5% drop out
rate.
Massachusetts, as well as other states in our nation, has seen
increasing achievement gaps between white students and minority
students. At WTHS, the achievement gap has decreased significantly and
in some subgroups is non-existent. From 2006-2013, Hispanic students
had a 65% gain in ELA and a 49% increase in math. Low-income students
showed a 64% gain in ELA and a 50% increase in math. In addition, black
students had a 48% gain in ELA and a 32% increase in math.
Recognizing the need for Advanced Placement classes for the
students at our school, administration applied for, and was accepted in
a grant program associated with the National Math and Science
Initiative. The Massachusetts chapter, Mass Insight, helps provide
inner city schools with funds for books and supplies, professional
development, and student support in an effort to help close the
achievement and access gap for many underserved students in the inner
city. In 2008, Worcester Tech began the school's entry into Advanced
Placement with AP Biology. The school now offers AP Language, AP
Literature, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science, AP Environmental
Science, AP Physics and AP Calculus. In the past 4 years, Worcester
Technical High School has increased student enrollment from 18 students
to 183.
Students are prepared for success with a rigorous curriculum that
combines academics with hands-on experience, in school and in the
workplace, through internships and cooperative education opportunities.
They graduate with all academic requirements and with industry-
recognized national certifications. Worcester Technical High School
graduates are graduating college and career ready. The profile of the
2013 graduates is: 82% went on to higher education, 13% went directly
into the world of work, and 2% joined the military.
Guiding the school, WTHS has over 350 industry advisors that
contribute to the direction and success of the school and its students.
These 350 individuals create both the General Advisory Board and the
Program Advisory Committees. The Program Advisory Committees are
established for each approved technical program and meet to review the
curriculum, equipment, internships/co-ops, and career trends of the
respective programs. The program advisory committees consist of
representatives of local business and industry related to the program,
organized labor, postsecondary institutions, parents/guardians,
students, and representatives from registered apprenticeship programs,
if applicable. The program advisory committees are integral partners in
the provision of a truly college-career ready curriculum. They are the
front lines for the industries that they represent. They provide
direction to the programs as to the trends in their fields in regards
to training, equipment, certifications, licensure, education, and
careers. The technical instructors work diligently to both lead the
committees and incorporate recommendations.
Each technical program is working towards providing industry
recognized credentials as well as college credits to expand each
student's opportunities for post secondary success. Two specific
examples are: in Allied Health students are graduating with a high
school diploma, a certificate in Allied Health, certification in CPR/
First Aid, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Home Health Aid, and EMT,
which earns them seven college credits; in Information Technology
programs students are graduating with up to 18 college credits from
Northeastern University, as well as being certified in A+ and as a
Certified Cisco Networking Associate (CCNA).
With the assistance of business and higher education partners,
entrustments are created to keep the schools' technical programs
outfitted with state of the art equipment. Entrustments are mutually
beneficial. The school receives new equipment at reduced or no cost
while the sponsor benefits by having students trained on their newest
equipment. As students enter the workforce, graduates will be skilled
at using the sponsors' latest tools and technology, and be more likely
to use those tools and products on the job. Also, businesses can use
the facility to train their employees or demo their products for
potential customers. For example, the Graphics Department has an
entrustment with Oce. The partnership has created a cutting edge,
advanced technology learning center for graphic arts. Through this
partnership the school received over a million dollars in equipment and
technology and is the print shop for the entire City of Worcester. The
Automotive Technology Department is called the Harr-Toyota Service
Center due to the generous donation from Harr-Toyota. Their $100,000.00
donation has allowed us to create a 16 bay service center furnished and
equipped with new state of the art automotive technology. This
department services over 250 vehicles per month. Worcester Tech has
also partnered with L'Oreal Redken to feature a full service beauty
salon and day spa. The Worcester Credit Union was approached during the
construction phase to provide a full service bank in the school. The
Finance and Marketing students are employed, during the school day, to
be the bank tellers. Since 2006, the bank has trained over 80 bank
tellers for Central Massachusetts' needs.
Worcester Technical High School is committed to building
partnerships with local two and four year colleges and universities. A
successful example of these partnerships is the Tufts at Tech animal
clinic that was created by a school partnership with Tufts University
to provide affordable animal care for low-income families in the
Worcester area. Tufts University funds a veterinarian to run the clinic
and WTHS students work alongside providing animal care. The clinic
services over 250 animals per month and charges 75% less than what a
regular vet would charge. Teachers created authentic learning
experiences in all facets of this partnership. The carpentry, plumbing,
and electrical students built the veterinary clinic. The graphic
students created the name and designed the logo and brochures and the
painting and design students created the signage.
Community
Worcester Technical High School is committed to giving back to the
community. Some examples include: at Green Hill Park, adjacent to our
school, students have built the club house for the golf course with the
Construction Academy, assisted in maintaining the barn yard zoo with
the Veterinary Assisting Program, and provided land maintenance and
water testing with the Environmental Tech Program. Students have
refurbished several condemned multi-family homes within the city. They
have also built a multi-family LEED certified house, from the ground
up, for low-income Worcester residents. In addition, the students and
staff designed and fabricated over 250 holiday wreaths that adorn
downtown during the holiday season. This has brought great pride to our
citizens and students alike.
STEM Focus
Two years ago, Worcester Technical High School became a STEM Career
and College Innovation School. Innovation Schools are schools that
operate with more autonomy and flexibility with staffing, professional
development, policies and curriculum. Innovation Schools implement
innovative strategies to improve student performance while maintaining
their public school funding. Worcester Technical High School, under the
Innovation School legislation, has a focus on STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math) education where students are taught
an integrated curriculum which will help them to obtain STEM jobs upon
graduation or study STEM related fields in college. With this 21st
century focus, WTHS is training students to meet the employment demands
of the area's growing biomedical, technology, and manufacturing
industries. These partnerships will keep jobs in Worcester for another
100 years and keep our city/region strong and viable.
An example of a STEM project with higher education partnerships is
the Solatrium, a modular, zero-energy home that competed in the US
Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon which was held in Datong, China
this past summer. Through working with post secondary linkages and area
business/industry, the manufacturing and construction programs at WTHS
partnered with one of 23 teams selected to compete in China. The
collegiate team composed of engineering students from Worcester
Polytechnic Institute, U.S.; Polytechnic Institute of New York
University, U.S.; and Ghent University, Belgium, designed the home but
needed assistance and expertise with the construction phase. WTHS
instructors from plumbing, electrical, HVAC/R, machining, and welding
stepped forward to lead their students in completing this state-of-the-
art, green construction project on schedule. The modular home was built
locally, tested, and then disassembled for shipment to China. Through
the generosity of business/industry, six WTHS students and two
instructors accompanied the team to China for reassembly and
participated in the competition. Through the leadership efforts of the
instructors at WTHS, inner-city students in an urban public school
worked alongside elite engineering students to develop and hone their
skills on the latest technologies in their respective trades and saw
the fruit of their labor in a truly once-in-a-lifetime global cultural
experience.
In addition, with the help and support of our local community
college and business sector donations, WTHS's Robotics Team competed in
local and regional competitions which qualified the team to compete in
the Vex World Championship competition in Anaheim, California last
April. The WTHS Vex Robotics Team competed against 426 teams
representing 24 different countries and won the Vex Robotics World
Championship.
Successful technical schools require strong links to the community,
business and industry, and academic institutions. The school's success
and the city's/region's success are intertwined.
WTHS is part of the economic engine, coordinating the needs and
desires of industry for a highly-trained, adaptable workforce with the
needs and desires of our students to secure good paying, rewarding jobs
in the fields of their choice.
Background
Worcester Technical High School has been in existence since 1910.
It is one of the first vocational schools built in the United States.
Through the decades the facility became antiquated, the infrastructure
incapable of being updated, and the equipment to train students was
obsolete. In 1997, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges'
Commission voted unanimously that the school be placed on probation for
failure to meet the Commission's Standard 10 on School Facilities. In
addition to an aging facility, Worcester Technical High School was the
lowest performing high school in the city and one of the lowest
performing vocational/technical schools in the state. In 2000, 97% of
the students scored in the Needs Improvement and Failing Categories of
the ELA MCAS exams, with 76% of these in the Failing Category. On the
MCAS mathematics exams, 97% scored in the Needs Improvement and Failing
Categories, with 85% of these students in the Failing Category.
Students were not graduating career or college ready.
The business community, state and local officials, educational, and
community leaders, and parents came together to support, fund, and
design a new $90 million, state of the art vocational/technical
facility. Worcester Technical High School is designed using the small
learning community model. Funding from the Carnegie Foundation Planning
Grant and a federally funded Small Learning Community Implementation
Grant allowed our large high school of twenty-four technical programs
to divide into four small learning communities (SLCs). This model
provided a personalized learning community that supported all students,
both academically and technically. It also fostered integrated
academics, project based learning by incorporating real world
applications, and engaging students in their learning to properly
prepare them for career and college.
Awards
In 2006, School Planning and Management Magazine awarded our school
the Impact on Learning Award in the category of non-traditional
learning space. In 2009, WTHS was selected as one of 15 public high
schools featured in How High Schools Become Exemplary by the
Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University. In 2011, the National
Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) selected WTHS as a
MetLife Foundation-NASSP Breakthrough School. This national award is
presented to five high schools and five middle schools across the
country, and WTHS was the only high school selected in New England. The
award recognizes schools achieving outstanding student gains in high
poverty areas. I was one of two Breakthrough School award recipient
principals (one middle and one high school) invited to present at a
congressional briefing sponsored by the NASSP and the Alliance for
Excellent Education Event at an event in May 2011. In 2012 and 2013, my
school was selected as a Breaking Ranks Showcase School at the NASSP
National Conferences. In 2013, I was selected as the Massachusetts
Principal of the Year and as I already mentioned, just last week I was
selected as the 2014 MetLife/NASSP National High School Principal of
the Year.
The Role of the Principal
When I had the good fortune to be hired to open the new WTHS in
2004, I brought a unique combination of experience, knowledge, and
skills with me. The success of our school is the result of many
factors, and my contributions are squarely connected to my prior work
and experience. The success of our school is the result of our
redefining the role of vocational/technical education. In doing so, we
have emphasized academic standards, teamwork, and motivation.
My background in a suburban high school prompted me to develop
programs with extensive college preparatory experiences for students
and to hold them accountable to high academic standards. The technical
components of our vocational programs provided an opportunity to make
rigorous programming relevant.
All important decisions at WTHS are made by the instructional
leadership team, which includes me, the assistant principals, the
vocational/technical director, and the department heads in the academic
and technical areas. Our team works together to identify focused goals
and targeted professional development and to develop a school culture
that is marked by high expectations for teachers and students. Our team
also makes every effort to coordinate professional development on the
basis of intensive analysis of student data. Faculty members use that
analysis to develop targeted interventions for students and respond to
the high expectations of our school culture by becoming and remaining
experts in their content fields.
NASSP and our members strongly support the Carl D. Perkins Career
and Technical Education Act, which we feel has great potential to
promote a personalized learning environment for each student through
strong curriculum and instruction, and will increase student
achievement through integrated academic and CTE programs. As we think
about the law's reauthorization, we hope that the committee will stay
focused on the program's ability to: 1) prepare all students for
postsecondary education and work opportunities; 2) support and enhance
academic achievement and technical literacy; and, 3) improve high
schools to ensure higher student achievement and graduation for all
students.
______
Chairman Rokita. Mr. Fischer, you are recognized for 5
minutes.
STATEMENT OF JOHN FISCHER, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, TRANSFORMATION
& INNOVATION, VERMONT AGENCY OF EDUCATION
Mr. Fischer. Chairman Rokita, Congressman Grijalva, and
members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting me here
today. As deputy commissioner of education in Vermont I am
responsible for our innovation and transformation agenda, with
particular focus on career and technical education. And this
year I also have the honor of serving as president of the
National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical
Education Consortium.
As you take up the important work of reauthorizing the
Federal investment in CTE, I appreciate this opportunity to
share insights based upon my experiences in Vermont, as well as
those of my colleagues across the country. Let me start by
saying the Federal investment in CTE is vitally important, and
has been and continues to be a major driver of innovation.
Twelve million students of all ages across the country
participate in CTE programs in every type of community
setting--urban, suburban and rural. And CTE programs are
delivered at numerous types of educational settings at the
secondary and post-secondary levels.
This diversity is a strength and a reflection of CTE's
responsiveness to its community, employers, and students. It is
also this diversity that makes the unity behind a common vision
for the future of CTE so unique. In 2010 the State CTE
directors from across the country agreed to a common vision for
CTE, charting a progressive agenda that leverages opportunities
presented in the Perkins legislation. This vision, which has
been provided as a supplement to my testimony, seeks to break
down the silos between academic and technical education and
between secondary and post-secondary education. It calls for
strengthened partnerships with employers and demands data-
driven decision making. And it cements our commitment to a
delivery system of programs of study organized around the
national Career Clusters, which are 16 at this point. This
vision guides our work, our Federal policy priorities, and my
remarks today.
CTE is leading educational innovation and is at the nexus
of economic and workforce development. BMW located in South
Carolina because of the promise of its workforce, and CTE was
an important part of that State's commitment to ensure that BMW
has the skilled workforce that it needs today and tomorrow. In
my State, as is the case in many across the country, CTE is
helping to restore and grow our economy. CTE is updating
existing programs like automotive, HVAC, advanced
manufacturing, all of these to reflect the changing workplace
and technologies, and introducing new programs like biomedical,
computer science, mechatronics, culinology, nano-technology and
the like to support emerging demands. These programs prepare
students with adaptable skills and knowledge--exactly what
employers want. CTE is serving a vital role in keeping States
and the U.S. economy growing and innovating.
CTE's partnership with employers is one of the most
treasured aspects of our history. From local mom-and-pop small
businesses to industry giants like IBM, Marriott, Union
Pacific, CMT, and Toyota, companies are investing in their
future by building robust partnerships with education. From
equipment donations to building curriculum, creating new
schools, offering teachers and faculty externships, and
providing students with internships, these business-education
partnerships are essential to assuring our programs meet the
needs of 21st century's economies.
Today's economy requires students to be prepared for
options, which means being prepared for both post-secondary
education and careers. CTE programs allow students to explore
careers and be challenged by real world, authentic experiences.
They get to apply their knowledge and skills, learn how to
become members of teams, find focus, motivation, and
confidence. Students are often learning and earning at the same
time, gaining portable, industry and post-secondary credentials
along the way.
Dual and concurrent enrollment has been a successful CTE
policy in Vermont and across the country. Research has found
that dual-enrollment students were more likely to earn a high
school diploma, go on to college, persist at that level, and
have a higher post-secondary grade point average than their
peers. Not only do these opportunities give students a head
start in post-secondary education, but lessens the college debt
load. For example, at Ballard Memorial High School in Kentucky
students in the health science program have the opportunity to
graduate from high school and earn an associate degree. This is
college and career readiness and this is today's CTE.
With Perkins funding and requirements as a national
catalyst, CTE is transitioning its delivery model to programs
of study, organized around the 16 Career Clusters. Driven by
high-quality college and career ready standards, through the
Common Career Technical Core, there is strong evidence that
programs of study are producing positive outcomes, including
better test results, better secondary GPAs, and improved
progress toward graduation.
In my State, programs of study are playing a
transformational role in ensuring that our most rural
communities have access to high-quality CTE. In urban centers
like New York, LA, Chicago, CTE is transforming high schools.
This is a matter of equity. No matter your zip code, gender,
socioeconomic status, or race, all students should have access
to programs that prepare them to be both college and career
ready.
And finally, none of this matters unless we have evidence
of outcomes. In Vermont the graduation rate for CTE students is
93 percent compared to our overall graduation rate of 87
percent, and this is not unique to Vermont.
Chairman Rokita. Thank you Mr. Fischer.
Mr. Fischer. Thank you very much.
[The statement of Mr. Fischer follows:]
Prepared Statement of John Fischer, Deputy Commissioner, Transformation
& Innovation, Vermont Agency of Education
Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts on Career
Technical Education, or CTE. As the Deputy Commissioner of Education in
Vermont, I am responsible for our innovation and transformation agenda,
with particular focus on CTE, including standards, assessments,
accountability, educator quality, school effectiveness, Federal
programs, and public assurance of our State education system.
This year, I also have the honor of serving as the President of the
National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education
Consortium. Established in 1920, the Consortium serves as the
professional society of state and territory agency heads responsible
for public CTE at the secondary, postsecondary, and adult levels in all
fifty states, five U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
As you take up the important work of reauthorizing the federal
investment in Career Technical Education, I appreciate the opportunity
to share insights based not only upon my experiences in Vermont, but on
those of my colleagues across the country. The federal investment in
CTE is vitally important and has been, and continues to be, a major
driver of change and innovation in CTE.
If I were to ask you ``What is Career Technical Education?'' many
of you would have different answers. These responses would be driven by
your own experiences and observations of CTE programs in your district.
And none of your answers would be wrong. This is because CTE is diverse
and responsive to the needs of the community, students and employers it
serves.\1\ CTE serves 12 million students of all ages--middle school
through adults--across the country.\2\ There are CTE programs in every
state and in every type of community setting--urban, suburban and
rural. And CTE programs are offered at myriad types of educational
settings--comprehensive high schools, career academies, theme-based CTE
high schools, community colleges, technical colleges, regional
technical centers, and technical institutes. This diversity is a
strength and a testament to the responsiveness of the CTE leadership
and programs. But it is also this diversity that makes the unity behind
a common vision for the future of CTE so unique and compelling.
High-Quality CTE: Preparing Students for Jobs of the Future
In 2010, in recognition of the changing economic forces, and to
further advance the CTE field, State CTE Directors agreed upon a common
vision for CTE. This vision was informed by key stakeholder groups in
industry, the broader education community, and government
representatives. The vision, agreed to by all the states, charted a
progressive agenda that leveraged the opportunities presented by the
federal legislation. The vision honors the rich history of vocational
education. It holds us accountable for the ongoing transformation of
programs to be responsive to the needs of the economy. And it charts a
bold and progressive course for the future that seeks to break down the
silos between academic and technical education, and between secondary
and postsecondary education. It calls for employers to be co-
developers, co-owners of CTE programs. It demands data-driven decision-
making. And it cements our commitment to a delivery system organized by
the 16 Career Clusters(r) and delivered through comprehensive programs
of study.
This vision guides our federal policy priorities and our actions,
and is comprised for five inter-connected principles:
Principle 1: CTE is critical to ensuring that the United States
leads in global competitiveness.
Education is critical to ensure the global competitiveness of the
United States, and some stakeholders and policymakers even consider it
an issue of national security. State CTE Directors recognize the
importance of delivering CTE programs that meet the needs of the labor
market and the global economy and, thus, drive the nation's ability to
compete globally.
How is CTE responding to the global economy? In the southeastern
part of the United States, CTE is part of state economic development
strategies. States like South Carolina, which worked with BMW to build
their U.S. operations in Greenville/Spartanburg. Or Alabama, which is
home to a Toyota plant. Oklahoma brought in the aerospace industry.
Louisville, Kentucky, has GE. And right outside the beltway, Virginia
won the bid for VW. These companies are locating to these states
because of their workforce--and CTE plays an important part of ensuring
that current and future workers are prepared for careers in that
regional economy.
Also, CTE is introducing new programs to meet the needs of the
modern economy like mechatronics, culinology, biotechnology, nano-
technology, green energy, etc. Today's CTE students are prepared with
adaptable skills and knowledge for the ever-changing economy. These
students have focus. They have drive. They have expertise. They have
work experience, in large part due to their participation in the Career
Technical Student Organizations. They have what employers want. At a
time when employers complain that graduates are not prepared to fill
job vacancies, CTE is delivering. If you attend national Career
Technical Student Organization competitions like SkillsUSA, which was
held in Louisville this summer, you'll see students walk away with not
only a medal of recognition for their performance in a particular
competitive event focused on technical skills, but also multiple job
offers which often include support for continued education.
Another example of this innovation and responsiveness to the needs
of the economy and the demand of the modern learner is the Vermont
Virtual AcademySM. The virtual academy provides an alternative to the
traditional in-classroom k-12 experience and instead allows students to
learn at their own pace in an environment of their choosing through
their computer and an Internet connection. Increasingly, online schools
such as Vermont's Virtual Academy have helped to improve student
performance and achievement through a more flexible and modern delivery
system. This blended learning approach lends itself well to Vermont's
priority Career Clusters, Information Technologies and STEM. This
dynamic and innovative educational programs seeks to fulfill the
constantly evolving needs of every student.
I recently heard about a student who was able to take part in this
program. Kevin, a student at Spaulding High School in Vermont, is
involved in a number of team sports for his school along with a
leadership position on the student council. He is also a budding
entrepreneur and recently opened his own lawn care business.
Ultimately, he would like to go on to college and become an Engineer.
According to Kevin, ``The things I read and learn in my class each day,
make me feel more confident in what I plan on doing after college.''
The CTE programs and blended learning opportunities such as our Virtual
Learning Academy offered through Vermont's Virtual Learning Cooperative
have helped clearly Kevin realize his full potential.
Principle 2: CTE actively partners with employers to design and
provide high-quality, dynamic programs.
CTE's partnership with employers is one of the most treasured
aspects of our history and continues to be at the heart of our programs
today. Our vision statement calls for an even stronger partnership with
employers by having business and industry having an increased role in
the design and delivery of CTE programs of study.
Across the nation, CTE leaders are collaborating with business and
industry. For example, Union Pacific Railroad works with local schools
through their Direction Recruitment Education and Mentoring (DREAM)
program in which employees provide students with career, educational
and social guidance. The mentoring program serves as a vehicle to
develop students' self-esteem and confidence in their personal and
career ambitions as they explore the business world.
Partnerships with employers provide students with real-world and
real-work problems to solve. They provide teachers and faculty with
externships and students with internships, work-based learning
experiences and mentorship. These experiences are essential for
students to test the waters and gain early exposure to a variety of
career fields. This exploration of what students like to do and are
good at can help them find focus and confidence--which leads to higher
aspirations. We see this over and over.
We believe federal CTE legislation can help promote improved
employer-education engagement and partnerships, including requiring
local advisory committees comprised of employers and education
stakeholders to actively partner in the design and delivery CTE high-
quality programs of study. Further, comprehensive career guidance and
development programs and personalized learning plans beginning in
middle school are essential to helping expand access to CTE and
ensuring more students have the support they need to learn about
careers, explore options, understand the necessary course of study and
experiences essential to be successful in their college and career
journey.
Principle 3: CTE prepares students to succeed in further education
and careers.
As described earlier, CTE has evolved considerably over the last
decade. High-quality CTE programs prepare students to be successful by
providing adaptable skills and knowledge, thereby ensuring flexibility
to transition careers as interests change, opportunities emerge,
technology advances, and the economy transforms. It is no longer
acceptable or appropriate to talk about college or careers. It must be
college and careers.\3\
This transformation in expectation from ``or'' to ``and'' is
underscored by the data. Researchers project that, by 2020, 35% of jobs
will require at least a bachelor's degree and 30% will require some
postsecondary education.\4\ Focusing on preparing secondary CTE
students for postsecondary education is paying off; the college
attendance rate for CTE students increased by nearly 32% between 1982
and 1992, and the trend continues.\5\ Even so, more work needs to be
done. Only 70% of high school graduates study at a postsecondary
institution immediately after high school, and far fewer complete a
degree or credential.\6\ Improving transitions between secondary and
postsecondary education is one of the most efficient ways to lead
students to postsecondary success. Thus, the focus of the federal
investment on preparation for both college and careers and the linkages
between the learner levels is absolutely necessary.
One way CTE has been successful at promoting learner level
alignment is through decades of work around dual and concurrent
enrollment. A recent Community College Research Center study found that
dual enrollment students in Florida were more likely to earn a high
school diploma, go on to college, persist at that level for longer, and
have a higher postsecondary grade point average than their peers.\7\
In recent years, efforts in states like Alabama, Colorado, Georgia,
Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania have expanded toward statewide
initiatives to promote acquisition and portability of postsecondary
credits while students are still in high school. In addition, we have
seen the expansion of the inclusion of Advanced Placement courses in
CTE programs of study. And there are some programs out there that
really have taken this to a whole new level. Ballard Memorial High
School in Ballard County, Kentucky provides students in the school's
Health Science program the opportunity to graduate high school and earn
an associate's degree from Western Kentucky Community & Technical
College at the same time.
These opportunities give students a head start on college and
lessen the economic burden of attending postsecondary institutions.
Employers, too, benefit from these partnerships as they are able to
confidently hire qualified individuals to fill job vacancies.
The quality of CTE educators cannot be overlooked as a major
component to student success. In Vermont, state leaders have developed
an innovative CTE teacher professional development program that will
start in the 2013-2014 school year. Vermont will now not only have one
of the best licensing programs for CTE teachers initially licensed to
teach, but will now also have a seamless pathway to earning a
Bachelor's degree in Career and Technical Education in a 3+2 program in
partnership with the state college system. As the economy evolves and
the needs of the labor market change, CTE students are uniquely
positioned to thrive in a globally-competitive environment with the
skills and knowledge base first acquired through rigorous CTE programs
taught by knowledgeable, prepared CTE instructors.
Principle 4: CTE is delivered through comprehensive programs of
study aligned to the National Career Clusters Framework.
States have largely embraced the National Career Clusters(r)
Framework, which includes 16 Career Clusters and 79 Career Pathways, as
the organizer for modern CTE. With Perkins funding and requirements as
the national catalyst, CTE is transitioning its delivery model of CTE
programs to programs of study. What's different about programs of
study?
Programs of study are designed to seamlessly link a student's
secondary and postsecondary education through a structured sequence of
academic and CTE courses that leads to a postsecondary-level
credential. In a program of study, the standards, curriculum, and
assessments are aligned, thereby ensuring coordination and seamless
delivery of instruction and transitions for students. Relevant work-
based learning opportunities, Career Technical Student Organizations,
comprehensive career planning, and leadership development are offered.
And there is evidence that programs of study are producing positive
outcomes. A study conducted through the National Research Center for
Career and Technical Education last year found that students who were
enrolled in a program of study had better test scores, better secondary
GPAs, and made more progress towards graduation than their peers.\8\
In addition, states have been working to add clarity and rigor to
academic and technical instruction at the high school level, with the
goal of better preparing students for college and careers and, thus,
improving the nation's ability to be globally competitive. Perkins
requires CTE programs to be aligned to rigorous, state-adopted academic
and CTE standards that define what students should know and be able to
do after completing instruction in a program of study. To that end, CTE
has been an advocate for college and career-ready standards. Last year,
State CTE Directors from 42 states, the District of Columbia and Palau,
embraced the opportunity to improve CTE through high-quality, voluntary
CTE standards, organized by Career Cluster, that define what students
should know and be able to do after completing instruction in a program
of study.
Programs of study also promote coordination and collaboration
between secondary and postsecondary partners. Consortia efforts that
protect funding streams but promote statewide collaboration have proven
vital to improving the capacity and scalability of CTE programs of
study. Consortia can provide a unified state effort towards comparable
quality of educational and training programming across all subsets of
the population. They also ensure equitable geographic access for
students, spanning middle school through high school, apprenticeships
and college, as well as lifelong learning. Additionally, consortia help
develop performance assessments of a valid and reliable nature to
further improve the state's accountability system., help define new
competency models and strategies to strengthen the link between CTE
programs and the needs of the labor market and the economy.
Principle 5: CTE is a results-driven system that demonstrates a
positive return on investment.
Finally, CTE embraces the critical importance of accountability and
data-driven decisions. Data have consistently illustrated CTE's
positive return on investment. The fiscal impact of a reduced drop-out
rate, cost savings for employers, and other positive impacts on
regional, state, and national economies show how investment in CTE
results in positive economic gains on the whole. Wisconsin's technical
colleges return a public benefit of $10.65 for every dollar invested,
and taxpayers in Los Angeles County see a 10 percent return on their
investment in the county's community colleges.\9\ These are just a few
of the many examples where CTE is yielding positive economic results
across the country.
In Washington's Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
commissioned one of the most compelling studies on the return on
investment for CTE. Composed of nine representatives from business,
labor, and government, the board found that CTE students in Washington
earn more on average, and thus pay back the state's investment in their
education through increased tax revenue. Ultimately, the return on
investment for CTE students in Washington was an impressive seven times
the original public investment.\10\
Unfortunately, the sort of data Washington is able to compile is
not available to every state due to limitations of their data systems.
There is a need to create common definitions across the states, common
performance measures across similar federal education and workforce
programs and to increase alignment across K-12 education, postsecondary
education and workforce data systems.
Conclusion
In 2006, the language in the Perkins Act was updated from
``vocational and technical education'' to ``career and technical
education.'' This transition was more than just a name change. It
represented a fundamental shift in philosophy from CTE being for those
who were not going to college to a system that prepares students for
both employment and postsecondary education. CTE leaders embraced the
goals of Perkins IV. We strengthened the integration of high-quality
academic and technical education programs, further emphasizing that
students participating in CTE must meet the same rigorous academic
standards as all other students. Many states went beyond the law's
minimal program of study requirements. We made great progress in
improving our data systems. And as a result, CTE students have
succeeded. The national average graduation rate for CTE students is
over 90 percent, while the average national graduation rate for all
students is less than 74 percent.\11\ CTE students are out-performing
academic benchmarks:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Target Actual
CTE indicator performance performance
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading/Language Arts (Secondary). 67% 72%
Mathematics (Secondary)........... 59% 63%
Technical Skill Attainment 68% 75%
(Secondary)......................
Technical Skill Attainment 70% 82%
(Postsecondary)..................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
And 70 percent of CTE concentrators stayed in postsecondary
education or transferred to a 4-year degree program (compared to the
overall average state target of 58%) and transitioned to postsecondary
education or employment by December of the year of graduation.\12\
Career Technical Education is learning that works for America. My
colleagues and I from across the nation believe that in that the
federal investment is vital to ensuring that we achieve the vision we
put forth in 2010--ensuring that all students have access to high-
quality CTE programs. As we look to the future, imagine an education
and workforce system that rewards innovation, cohesively supports
different learning styles, equally values different interests and
talents, nimbly adapts and responds to technology and workplace needs,
and prepares all students for career success through multiple pathways.
Our nation's economic vitality hinges on our commitment to invest in
and ensure the preparedness, efficiency, innovation, creativity and
productivity of the U.S. workforce, and CTE is instrumental to our
success.
ENDNOTES
\1\ U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation
and Policy Development. National Assessment of Career and Technical
Education: Interim Report, 2013. Of note, The share of public high
school graduates who are CTE investors, earning 3 or more occupational
credits, was 38% in 2004. The share of CTE explorers, who earn three or
more CTE occupational credits in more than one occupational area,
increased to 21% in 2004.
\2\ U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult
Education. Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act
Consolidated Annual Reports, 2011-2012.
\3\ Career Readiness Partners Council's Career Readiness
Definition: http://www.careerreadynow.org/
\4\ Carnevale, Anthony, Nicole Smith, and Jeff Strohl, ``Recovery:
Job Growth and Education Requirements Through 2020,'' Georgetown
University Center on Education and the Workforce, June 2013.
\5\ U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Under Secretary,
Policy and Program Studies Service, ``National Assessment of Vocational
Education: Final Report to Congress,'' Washington, D.C., 2004.
\6\ National Science Foundation, ``Science and Engineering
Indicators 2012,'' Arlington, VA, 2012, http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/
seind12/c1/c1s4.htm.
\7\ Karp, Melinda Mechur, Juan Carlos Calcagno, Katherine L.
Hughes, Dong Wook Jeong, & Thomas Bailey, ``Dual Enrollment Students in
Florida and New York City: Postsecondary Outcomes,'' Community College
Research Center 37, February (2008): http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/
k2/attachments/dual-enrollment-student-outcomes-brief.pdf.
\8\ Castellano, M., Sundell, K., Overman, L. T., & Aliaga, O. A.,
``Do Career and Technical Education Programs of study Improve Student
Achievement? Preliminary Analyses From a rigorous Longitudinal Study,''
International Journal of Educational Reform, 21 (2012): 98-118.
\9\ Association for Career and Technical Education, ``Investing in
Career & Technical Education Yields Big Returns.''
\10\ ``CTE: An Investment in Success,'' Workforce Training and
Education Coordinating Board, Olympia, Washington, http://
www.wtb.wa.gov/Documents/CTESuccess.pdf.
\11\ U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult
Education, ``Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of
2006, Report to Congress on State Performance, Program Year 2007--08,''
Washington, D.C., 2010.
\12\ U.S. Department of Education, ``FY 2010 Annual Performance
Report,'' Washington, D.C., 2011. http://www2.ed.gov/about/reports/
annual/2010report/fy2010-apr.pdf.
______
Chairman Rokita. Mr. Britt, you are now recognized for 5
minutes.
STATEMENT OF FRANK BRITT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
PENN FOSTER INC.
Mr. Britt. Thank you very much and good morning, Chairman
Rokita and Congressman Grijalva and the esteemed members of
this committee. My name is Frank Britt and I am the CEO of Penn
Foster, one of the Nation's largest and most experienced
providers of online and hybrid education in the career
technical field. I appreciate the opportunity to share some
perspectives this morning regarding this vital part of the
education economy.
I come to you today as a practitioner, as an active
observer of CTE, and my perspective starts with several
important assumptions. The first is that it is self-evident
that CTE has worked and has improved the lives of millions of
people due to dedicated faculty and administrators and strong
State and Federal policies. Secondly, given that strong track
record, there is a lot that has worked and a lot should be
embraced going forward. This is not a part of the education
economy that is broken, it is one that is thriving and can
continue to improve for the future. Thirdly, change is upon us.
Society is changing, education itself is changing, employers'
expectations of workers are changing, and the reality is the
learning habits of students is evolving in a digital world.
It is in this context that I think there is a significant
opportunity to build on the strong and vital role of CTE, the
one that it already plays today in schools and in business
across our country. I think we need to continue to lay out a
road map and a platform for CTE that will further establish it
in a contemporary context. That road map should be formulated
by seasoned practitioners in the CTE industry as well as
administrators, but it also needs to include people from
outside the CTE industry to help shape the next generation of
students and lifelong learners.
As you have read in my submitted remarks, we have six
recommendations, and I wanted to highlight just three of those.
But what they share in common--and this is an important point--
is all of them have been implemented in other parts of the
education economy and in other sectors of the corporate
economy, and that is an important point to note. Our objective
is to encourage the melding of proven best practices in CTE
with the best practices and insights we have gained from other
industries so we can optimize the student experience of CTE, as
well as the return on investment.
We have three recommendations particularly we thought worth
noting. The first is diffuse project-based learning with the
best of traditional practices to better personalize the student
experience. This means project-based learning combined with the
way traditional ground-based academics work to drive the best
outcome for the students.
Number two, we want to embrace digital learning. CTE
faculty members have always needed to embrace new technologies
given the disciplines they teach. Given that technology and
software are essential to countless vocational fields already,
we see embedding further digital tools in the learning context
as a natural extension of what happens in the classroom and
what should happen out of the classroom going forward.
The third is a change in perception. The reality is that
the middle-skills occupations are in fact in demand,
extraordinarily respectable occupations, and drive stable
lifestyles. In many cases it allows people to advance to middle
management, even senior management positions. But as we also
know, the degrees that prepare students for middle-skill
careers are often misunderstood and underappreciated. The
reality is that the alternative education career pathway is in
fact compelling for millions of capable traditional learners
and adults, and it needs to be encouraged by people and
organizations of influence.
There is a significant opportunity to make CTE a new way to
think about the economy for millions of people, and we think
the perception and branding of CTE needs to be evolved. It
needs to become a mainstream solution that is embraced in the
same way that traditional 4-year colleges are embraced. We all
know that a 4-year degree may not be desirable or even
practical for every student, or in some cases it maybe
shouldn't be the first step. The reality of that is the
trillion dollars in student loan debt.
Our assertion is that students and adults alike should be
encouraged to understand this vibrant set of career
alternatives to help themselves and their families build a more
productive life. This is a moment to lean in on affirming the
power and the promise of CTE-enabled careers.
In summary, we are supporters of CTE, we know it can play a
vital role in helping address the acute skills gap in this
country, which is likely to worsen with the resurgence of U.S.
manufacturing. We have a 123-year history at our organization,
including our 100,000 students today who participate in all
aspects of our high school, our college, as well as our
vocational programs and career programs. There is an imperative
and an opportunity to change CTE in this country, and we think
it is an exciting one that can improves everyone's lives. We
appreciate the opportunity to share our perspectives on that
subject.
Chairman Rokita. Thank you, Mr. Britt.
[The statement of Mr. Britt follows:]
Prepared Statement of Frank F. Britt, CEO, Penn Foster
Good Morning, Chairman Rokita, Congressman Grijalva, and esteemed
members of the committee, my name is Frank Britt. I am the CEO of Penn
Foster--a leader in career-focused online and hybrid education with a
commitment to addressing the middle skills gap in America.
The story of Penn Foster is rooted in training Americans with the
technical skills needed to find jobs where they live. In 1869, in one
of the largest mining disasters in the history of Pennsylvania, a
massive fire caused the death of 110 workers, due in large part to a
lack of training and expertise among the miners. This crippled the coal
mines in the area and left people out of work and under-skilled. In
response, newspaper editor Thomas Foster founded the International
Correspondence School in 1890, to train miners on engineering and
safety. Foster pioneered correspondence learning because his students
did not have the means to travel every day to sit in a classroom. As
the school reached its one millionth enrollment Thomas Edison, who
authored one of its courses, remarked that home study was one of the
greatest inventions of the 20th century. President Theodore Roosevelt
agreed. He visited the Scranton campus and extolled the virtues of the
school's study method. Soon Foster's programs grew and became more
sophisticated, and the International Correspondence School became Penn
Foster. In the years since, our institution has produced many notable
alumni including Chrysler's former president Walter Chrysler, GM's
former president Charles W. Nash and Dan Kimball, former Secretary of
the U.S. Navy.
Since our inception, more than 13 million people have enrolled in
Penn Foster, which encompasses a high school, career school, and
college. Today, Penn Foster enrolls approximately 150,000 students
annually in programs consistent with traditional schools and community
colleges, providing fully accredited high school diplomas, career
programs and certificates, and bachelor's and associate degrees. Our
Career School, College, and High School have all met the high standards
of academic integrity set by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance
Education and Training Council (DETC), a nationally recognized
accrediting agency, and various other accreditation bureaus including
regionally accreditation for Penn Foster High School and Career School
by the Commission on Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association
of Colleges and Schools.
We focus on traditional age high school students through adult
learners and partner with over 400 secondary and post-secondary
institutions that use Penn Foster content and delivery platforms to
expand their offerings. For example, Polk County School District in
Florida uses Penn Foster's curriculum and platform to re-attract
students who have dropped out of high school and help them graduate. We
also attack the systematic issues of the drop-out crisis by
contributing senior leadership and resources to the National Dropout
Prevention Network, which has worked to create opportunities for all
young people to fully develop academic, social, work, and life skills.
Given that our students are often balancing full-time jobs and/or
other familial responsibilities, Penn Foster has become an industry
leader in crafting innovative solutions to keep them on-track. We
employ a self-paced educational model based on subject matter mastery
that allows our students to set their own timetables without falling
behind while accounting for personal circumstances.
Our student-centered approach extends to program cost and payment
options. We make sure that our programs do not require students to take
on excessive debt obligations. For example, the average starting salary
for a Pharmacy Technician is $28,400. Penn Foster's Pharmacy Tech
certificate program cost students less than $500 (over 60% less than
most alternatives). For school districts using Penn Foster career
electives and high school courses this means low cost options that fit
within the school's budget and allow them to sponsor innovative models
for educating their high school population.
In addition, for individual consumers or students, paying for
school is more manageable under our pay-as-you-go model. We do not
accept federal student aid programs under Title IV of the Higher
Education Amendments including Stafford Student and the Federal Pell
Grant Program. Instead, monthly payments are calibrated to match
academic progress and students' ability to pay, which better aligns
objectives between students and the institution including our high
school, career and college. For example, the cost of our associate and
bachelor's degrees are about 30% less than community colleges and 70%
less than traditional four year institutions.
For many, our programs are a gateway to the respectable salary and
stable lifestyle that accompany careers in vocations traditionally
classified as ``middle-skilled.'' For others, we smooth the transition
to higher education by simplifying the credit transfer process. This is
nothing less than the democratization of education, as we offer our
students access to the best in technology, community and academics, as
well as a support system usually reserved for those who can afford high
tuition and the accompanying loan payments. And by harnessing the
benefits of scale economies, we are able to do so at a lower cost.
Given our position as one of the nation's largest and most
experienced providers of online instruction in Career Technical
Education (CTE) at the high school and post-secondary level, we
appreciate the opportunity to address the Subcommittee and offer
recommendations to improve the funding, delivery, and promotion of CTE.
Recommendations to Make CTE More Efficient and Effective
To date, a lot of good has been done. Lives have been changed and
skills have been built, as institutions and dedicated faculty have been
well-preparing students for careers in CTE. We are here today to talk
about how to build on the strong foundation of CTE and evolve the
system while innovating for the future. We have six recommendations to
improve career and technical education in our country today:
1. Employ project based learning to personalize the student
experience
2. Embrace digital learning
3. Change the perception
4. Stimulate innovation
5. Promote data uniformity
6. Reward competency, not accreditation
We recognize the Subcommittee and Staff have deep expertise in a
variety of issues related to CTE and the Perkins Act, and will direct
our remarks to areas that may complement this panel's deep experiences.
The basis of these viewpoints is as a practitioner, rather than a
policy expert. We exist to provide education either directly to the
learners, or support school districts, higher ed institutions and
employers who seek alternative CTE delivery models. We share these
perspectives based on directly interfacing with thousands of students
each year, and as active observers of the incumbent delivery approaches
and providers. Like many other organizations, we are seeking to
navigate the new needs of the next generation CTE students, and be
productive advocates and supporters of current faculty and
administration and collaborate with them to better address the needs of
both traditional and adult learners.
1. Employ project based learning to personalize the student experience
Project-based learning (PBL) is an educational approach that
focuses on real-life application of theories and lessons and is in
practice in many leading CTE schools across the country. Students
engaged in PBL pursue solutions to nontrivial problems by asking and
refining questions, debating ideas, making predictions, designing plans
and experiments, collecting and analyzing data, drawing conclusions,
and communicating their ideas and findings to others. This provides an
alternative to paper-based, rote memorization, teacher-led classrooms.
Proponents of project-based learning cite numerous benefits to the
implementation of these strategies in the classroom including a greater
depth of understanding of concepts, broader knowledge base, improved
communication and interpersonal/social skills, enhanced leadership
skills, increased creativity, and improved writing skills.
At present, the vast majority of funding is devoted to traditional
infrastructure and practices. Instead, investments should be made to
``mainstream'' PBL enabled by online and hybrid courses that are
personalized to directly benefit students. In these student-centered
models the role of faculty often evolves. Instead of spending all of
their time reviewing material, they are focused on the application of
the material and tailoring that teaching to the individual needs of the
learner.
2. Embrace digital learning
Much has changed since the Perkins Act was made law seven years
ago, as more and more students are turning to custom CTE programs
online.\1\ Yet, the Act does not recognize online or hybrid models
under its definition of ``institution.'' Meanwhile, in the private
sector, the service Khan Academy, a non-profit educational website
whose mission is to provide ``a free world-class education for anyone
anywhere,'' educates millions each day with little-to-no overhead. With
260 million lessons and a staff of fewer than 100, Khan's results have
been astounding. The innovation in their equation is simply the
Internet itself, as noted by many leading experts, including Michael
Staton, co-founder of Inigral.
The Committee should continue to encourage use of the Internet and
digital learning in education at every opportunity, especially to
perpetuate peer-to-peer platforms and social media enablement. These
adaptive learning engines will contain intelligent programs that
understand and respond to each student's level of competency.
For example, tech-enabled and hybrid educational delivery platforms
can optimize total spending per student by using predictive tools that
automate intervention and augment student-progress, while increasing
faculty productivity and moving from hard copy text to digital content.
The goal is to deliver a student experience that drives academic
progress and has built-in tools to catch students before they struggle.
This includes using personalized and adaptive learning systems for
teachers. These systems are complemented by greater parental, business,
and community engagement and work through partnerships with local
employers. The results would be higher attendance rates, higher
effectiveness as measured by staying in school, progression, and most
importantly more career and college pathways.
3. Change the perception
We recommend the public and private CTE institutions, together with
the government, proactively educate the public on the value of careers
in CTE fields. We have to be even more effective at communicating the
narrative of why students and citizens should be compelled to embrace
these careers. Explaining this story has always been essential, and now
faces more complex marketing challenges as new social tools are
introduced and mobile consumption becomes more prevalent. This will
require new types of content, such as user generated reviews. To
compete in that environment, CTE needs a national ``Got Job?''-style
campaign, funded by the private sector, to reach its target audiences
(including students and parents) and penetrate the national
consciousness. Led by a cross-section of leading employers and/or
industry organizations, this campaign needs to involve Committee
members and others in positions of influence and esteem to highlight
CTE fields as providing rigorous, challenging curricula that lead to
college and career readiness. Americans need to see ``alternative
pathways'' not as code words for less potential and low wages, but
instead as a viable, creditable and highly pragmatic academic and
career roadmap for a significant number of traditional and adult
students.
Historically CTE has suffered from negative perception, and
flipping that perception may be the number one issue holding us back
from filling these important jobs with skilled labor, and tackling the
national jobs crisis.
4. Stimulate innovation
Career technical education is a $30 billion industry and impacts
millions of learners each year, yet it has been largely ignored by
entrepreneurs, venture capital and top executives from leading
companies. Innovation is the key force that shapes industries, and more
talented leaders need to be attracted to the sector to help conceive
approaches and take advantage of emerging practices from the new
education economy. While there are highly successful and innovative
schools, such as Gateway Technical College, their influence is
constrained by geography. To attract large-scale innovators and new
sources of capital to drive research and development the delivery model
and economic and regulatory environments will need to change.
CTE needs Perkins dollars directly focused on innovation grants,
prizes and university collaboration to incentivize engagement and
diversify the base of potential innovators.\2\ Furthermore, new
parties, including proprietary schools, need to have a say in the
updated version of the Perkins Act and the national CTE agenda. Online
and hybrid learning models can offer more affordable career and
technical education for students while also reducing labor and
operational costs for schools. As a result of these savings, more
funding can be freed up to directly benefit students.\3\
This next-generation, technology-enabled career and technical
education would simplify administrative and logistical tasks, leading
to higher student and teacher satisfaction. For ground-based career
tech schools partnering with the next generation providers can expand
the radius of their coverage geographically, allow for new programs not
offered today yet in demand locally, and also provide on-going
continuing education to graduates. This will be of particular benefit
to rural America where travel and class-size often constrain the
ability of districts to offer CTE courses. Partnering with online CTE
providers will ensure that rural students have the same access to high-
demand CTE professions as their urban and suburban counterparts.
5. Promote data uniformity
Despite significant spending on CTE across the High School,
Technical College and Career School sectors, the quality of unit-level
and aggregate data on spending and student achievement is often
elusive, contradictory, or out-of-date. For example, the basic
definition of who and what is a K-12 CTE student varies across states
and districts. Is a CTE student a ``CTE concentrator'' who takes 4-6
CTE courses in one area, or is it any student who takes any CTE course?
The definition of what constitutes a CTE course varies across states,
districts and even schools. A world-class educational system cannot be
modernized without better data and consistency for the sake of
benchmarking and performance improvement management on behalf of
students and investors. Similarly, inconsistencies in how and who
provides tracking and reporting costs impact how a given state's
delivery system is set up: e.g., New York has a regional service center
model (BOCES) that delivers some (but not all) CTE programs for its
member school districts. Other states deliver CTE programs in
comprehensive high schools. Those variables impact administrative,
transportation, instructional, and capital costs.
Simplifying and unifying definitions and practices will save
providers operating in multiple states time, money, and frustration,
and will ultimately benefit students.
6. Reward competency, not accreditation
Education is entering a transitional moment. Moving forward we
should embrace the best of the traditional model while incorporating
the advantages of a competency-based system. The need to assure the
public that an institution meets standards and delivers on its promises
will remain essential, but the future is a movement toward competency-
based education and away from credit-hour measures.
One option is for CTE (over time) to embrace an employer-driven
competency-attainment based system to complement credit hours.\4\ This
will likely require panels of employers to set criteria for
competencies needed to meet industry standards and regulation at the
national level, which would eliminate, standardize or simplify state-
by-state restrictions and barriers. An early example of these
principles in action includes The National Coalition of Certification
Centers (NC3), which were established to implement and sustain
industry-recognized portable certifications with strong validation and
assessment standards. As CTE makes the transition to competency-based
certification, the online education will be uniquely positioned to
serve learners in a variety of fields including Vet Tech and Pharma
Tech, where competency programs are already operational.
Career Technical Education (CTE) at the High School Level
More than 850,000 K-12 students in the U.S. are classified as
``vocational,'' which encompasses CTE fields and makes up just 2% of
total students. The cost to educate these students is nearly $14,000 or
20-40% greater than that of traditional academic instruction. In recent
years approximately $13 billion has been spent annually by federal,
state and local governments to support youth-focused vocational
education systems across the U.S., with federal funding constituting
only about 4-8% percent of all state and local spending.\5\ This is in
addition to the $16 billion post-high school trade and technical
school-industry.
Penn Foster is striving to make career technical education more
affordable by combining online instruction with practical hands-on
training. Unlike many CTE alternatives, including both traditional and
online options, Penn Foster is fixated on our students' long-term
goals. This allows us to eliminate any instruction that is not central
to our students achieving in their desired fields, reducing student's
tuition with no degradation of value. We take the same approach in our
work with corporate partners, for whom we provide low-cost employee
training programs online in a targeted and personalized manner.
A Commitment to Career Training: Penn Foster and Job Corps
Penn Foster's collaboration with Job Corps is just one example of
our commitment to education innovation in career technical training
with students who have struggled in the traditional system. Both Penn
Foster and Job Corps are focused on bringing professional and
educational opportunities to at-risk students and those who have not
had success in the traditional system. Penn Foster operates in 50 of
Job Corps' 125 centers around the nation, implementing our self-paced
high school model and devising various innovative hybrid courses that
combine online instruction with hands-on training. Since 2006, the
partnership has worked by combining general high school requirements
such as math or science with electives in a career track of the
student's choice. Run simultaneously, Penn Foster provides the
materials to help the students receive their diploma, while Job Corps
provides them with the practical career training and support. An
instructor is present at all times and helps the student decide on and
prepare for their next exciting step, whether it's a job or college.
When they complete the program students leave with more than just a
diploma, they have a skill set that can help lead to a better life.
New Students and Career Paths
Higher education is increasingly seen as a requisite in today's job
market. Yet there are profoundly troubling signs that the U.S. is
failing to meet its obligation to prepare millions of young adults. In
an era in which education has never been more important to economic
success, the U.S. has fallen behind many other nations in educational
attainment and achievement. Within the U.S. economy, there is also
growing evidence of a ``skills gap'' in which many young adults lack
the skills needed for many jobs that pay a middle-class wage.
Simultaneously, there has been a dramatic decline in the ability of
adolescents and young adults to find work. Indeed, the percentage of
teens and young adults who have jobs is now at the lowest level since
World War II.
As a result, the demographics of the ``typical student'' have
changed and college students are no longer just 18-to-22-year-olds.
They may be single working mothers in their 40s or grandparents in
their 60s. They may seek traditional degrees or be part of the fastest
growing career track--those pursuing career certificates.
Significantly, the National Center for Education Statistics notes that
36% of today's college students are over age 25, a group that is
expected to grow by 20 percent between 2010 and 2020.\6\ As norms of
age and income become obsolete, there is a need for more customization
and flexibility in delivery methods to meet the needs of nontraditional
students.
Just as students' backgrounds have changed, so have their career
paths. Today, a person's first job no longer becomes a lifelong career,
and students need to be more versatile than in previous generations.
According to leading experts, between 60 and 70% of the jobs required
20 years from now do not exist today, a dramatic-yet-intuitive
statistic given the countless number today's new careers that have only
emerged over the past decade including in social media, green energy
sustainability, cloud computing, and data science.
According to the Center on Education and the Workforce at
Georgetown University, the U.S. economy will create some 47 million job
openings over the 10-year period ending in 2018. Nearly two-thirds of
these jobs will require at least some post-secondary education.
Therefore, applicants without post-high school education will fill 36
percent of the job openings, or just half the percentage of jobs they
held in the early 1970s. Moreover, the Center projects that 14 million
openings will be filled by people with an associate's degree or
occupational certificate. Many of those will be in ``middle-skill''
occupations such as electrician, construction manager, dental
hygienist, paralegal and police officer. These jobs often have higher
salaries than jobs held by those with bachelors' degrees. In fact, 27
percent of people with post-secondary licenses or certificates--
credentials short of an associate's degree--earn more than the average
bachelor's degree recipient. There will also be a huge number of job
openings in so-called blue-collar fields like construction,
manufacturing, and natural resources, which will provide nearly 8
million openings, an estimated 2.7 of which will require a post-
secondary credential.
Given the dynamic nature of the marketplace, it is more important
than ever for educators to provide employment-focused education. As
students look to train-up and acquire practical and marketable skills,
educators must respond in kind by adjusting their methods to be more
learner-focused. Ideally, the future of education will blend online and
traditional learning experiences and be flexible, so that the material
is available to the student on his/her own time and teaching and
engagement is saved for the classroom.
Penn Foster has helped answer the call with more than 200
partnerships with secondary and post-secondary schools and 35 state
workforce development boards. We're making content available and
allowing students to learn at their own paces, while providing in-
person support and guidance to improve graduation rates.
Filling the Middle Skill Jobs of Today and Tomorrow
For many Americans, ``higher education'' still means a four-year
degree. However, with unemployment hovering around 7.5 percent and with
many students graduating from four-year institutions unable to find
jobs, our perception of the costs and benefits of education needs to
change. Degrees that prepare students for middle-skilled careers are
often ignored or rejected, but education leaders need to realize that,
as valuable as four-year degrees may be, they are not practical for
every student, especially given that these students are saddled with an
average of $26,600 of debt overall,\7\ and $32,700 when graduating from
for-profit colleges.\8\ Instead of ignoring middle-skilled careers, we
need to embrace them as viable alternatives to traditional degrees that
lead to high-demand careers, and ensure that associated education costs
remain affordable and aligned with salary potential.
Jobs traditionally known as ``middle-skilled'' will make up nearly
half of all openings in the next 10 years,\9\ and yet there is a lack
of infrastructure, support, and data to help middle-skill workers
navigate the market to discover and attain these jobs. As a result, too
many middle-skill workers are enrolling in four-year degree programs
instead of gaining career-oriented training that would allow them
instant access to the workforce. This inefficiency is increasing
student debt and widening a middle-skills job gap, where students fail
to meet the needs of employers who want to hire them.
Like their white-collar counterparts, employers in middle-skilled
career fields want their applicants to be job-ready. They do not want
to have to spend large amounts of money training their employees. They
want an employee equipped with both practical and relevant theoretical
knowledge. That's where hybrid (or ``blended'') learning approaches
come into play, allowing students to combine in-class hands-on
instruction with online learning, contributing to increased
productivity among students and reduced costs for institutions.
Penn Foster is helping to close the ``skills gap'' with a variety
of programs that give students access to equipment and first rate
instruction in high-growth industries. Our engineering technology
program, which prepares students for careers in manufacturing, is just
one example. Despite well-documented shifts in the manufacturing
industry, there is a dire need for new manufacturing professionals. In
December 2012, there were 224,000 manufacturing job openings, but only
155,000 hires, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And these
jobs generally pay well: sheet metal workers earn a median salary of
$41,710 and diesel engine mechanics earn a median salary of $46,660,
according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Considering that these
careers do not require four years of post-secondary schooling, they
represent a favorable return on investment.
Trade and Technical Schools: Meeting the Needs of a Growing Market
The post-high school Trade and Technical Schools industry has
experienced overall growth during the past five years despite the
recession and substantial cuts in federal funding. The industry has
been able to capitalize on the growing online education market, despite
increased regulation. Spurred on by demand for training in areas of new
technology, revenue grew 2.6% annually to $16.1 billion in the five
years leading up to 2012.
Changing labor market requirements have encouraged job seekers to
choose vocational courses rather than apprenticeships and on-the-job
training. Furthermore, the increasing cost of four-year colleges has
caused some to seek alternative forms of education. While technical and
trade schools still face competition from the Junior Colleges
industry,\10\ future prospects are good. Downstream demand is expected
to remain strong for workers in most trades, and increasing
requirements for workers to hold formal certification will aid industry
growth. Demand for healthcare professions will also provide a
significant boost to the industry in particular. As the U.S. population
ages, demand for medical technicians and nurse's aides will bolster the
revenue of training schools, which is expected to increase at an
annualized rate of 2.7% to $18.4 billion between 2013 and 2017.
Partnering with Employers, Responding to the Market
Our more than 100-year CTE track record has positioned Penn Foster
as the in-demand online and hybrid institution for construction,
manufacturing, utility, and engineering firms looking to train and
retrain employees. We have partnered with more than 1,000 institutions
nationwide in that capacity, including the military. Last year 2,500
military students took Penn Foster programs, because our model allows
traveling, busy military families to get an education and advance their
career goals and at a low price point. We also work with leading
community colleges and corporations to develop turn-key solutions for
high-growth industrial occupations such as electrician, welder and HVAC
technician, and industries such as utilities, manufacturing and
construction.
These programs can reduce employee turnover by 40% while saving
corporate clients millions of dollars, not to mention preventing
devastating layoffs and improving on-site safety for workers and the
public. In addition, they provide traditional blue collar workers with
a ladder up into management positions.
This understanding of the job market helps institutions better
prepare students to achieve employment. Just as corporate America uses
customer data to improve business practices, so do employers collect
and track data on performance of employees, interns and apprentices.
Schools can harness that data and use it to help students pick classes,
decide on courses of study, and ultimately choose their career paths.
Conclusion
The time is now to even better support change in career and
technical education in this country and build on the successful
foundation in place today. Existing legislation is no longer
sufficiently comprehensive to the changing dynamics of today's
educational marketplace. Changing the perception of CTE careers, and
embracing technology are just a few of the ways that we can positively
alter the face of vocational training. We need to focus on training
American for the nearly 50% of jobs in the ``middle skills'' sector
that will drive our economy in the years ahead.
Chairman Rokita, Congressman Grijalva, and esteemed members of the
committee, we at Penn Foster are looking forward to the challenges and
opportunities ahead. Thank you for your time.
ENDNOTES
\1\ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/growth-online-
education-moocs--n--3041529.html
\2\ See Addendum 2 for further information
\3\ ``Competitive Priority--Improving Cost-Effectiveness and
Productivity'': http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget13/
crosscuttingissues/pande.pdf
\4\ See Addendum 1
\5\ http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2446/State-
Departments-Education-VOCATIONAL-EDUCATION.html
\6\ http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=98
\7\ http://projectonstudentdebt.org/state--by--state-data.php
\8\ http://www.propublica.org/article/the-for-profit-higher-
education-industry-by-the-numbers
\9\ http://www.nationalskillscoalition.org/resources/reports/tpib/
nsc--tpib--perkins.pdf
\10\ IBISWorld report 61121
______
Chairman Rokita. Out of respect for, in order to
accommodate as many fellow members as I can, I am going to hold
on my questions and go right to members' questions.
So first will be Mr. Thompson. You are recognized for 5
minutes.
Mr. Thompson. Well, Chairman, thank you, Ranking Member,
thank you for this incredibly important hearing.
And thanks to the panel for your testimony and your
experience today.
As co-chair of the Congressional Career and Technical
Education Caucus this is a subject obviously I am pretty
passionate about. And today we are not just talking about
greater opportunities for individuals and families, that is
incredibly important, but the big picture is we are talking
about America's competitiveness, having a qualified and trained
workforce. And the types of programs that you all and the
students that you touch, the programs you touch, and the topic
we are talking about all serves for America's competitiveness.
Career and technical education is not a field of dreams, it is
a field of jobs and helping fill that skills gap and make that
connection.
First of all, Mr. Chairman, I just want to ask unanimous
consent just to submit a statement from my co-chair of the
Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, a
statement from Congressman Jim Langevin.
Chairman Rokita. Without objection.
[The statement of Mr. Langevin follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Jim Langevin, a Representative in Congress
From the State of Rhode Island
Chairman Rokita and Ranking Member Grijalva, thank you for
convening today's hearing.
As co-chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Caucus, alongside Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, I have made the
reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education
Act one of my top priorities. I am pleased that the committee has taken
this important step, and I look forward to working with my colleagues
to ensure that Perkins is up to date and fully funded.
The Perkins Act is a major federal funding source for career and
technical education in high schools, career and tech centers and
community and technical colleges that support professional development,
access to the latest technology and equipment, and integration of
academic and technical education. Unfortunately, while demand for CTE
has increased, funding for the Perkins Act has remained unchanged for
almost a decade.
One of the most insidious effects of this stagnation is the ever-
growing skills gap: businesses are unable to find employees with the
skills to match their job openings, and workers are finding themselves
unqualified for the best available jobs. We have some wonderful
examples in Rhode Island of partnerships that align workforce training
with the needs of employers, but these programs need to be nurtured and
expanded. Closing the skills gap is one of the most important things we
can do to get our economy moving again, and emphasizing CTE at every
level, from elementary school to college and beyond, will help turn out
highly-skilled and motivated workers.
High school diplomas are no longer sufficient training for the
modern job market. A four-year degree, two-year degree or professional
certification is now a key precursor to building a successful and
rewarding career. In fact, over 30 percent of the 46.8 million
projected job openings by 2018 will require some college education.
Meanwhile, eight of top 20 fastest-growing industries in the coming
decades will be in the health care industry. Many of these positons
will require a 2-year degree or less, but more than a high school
education.
Businesses depend on CTE to address the skills gap and shortages of
qualified job candidates. They know that CTE students can help meet
these demands quickly, and many postsecondary credential and degree
programs are available to help students advance. Both short-term and
longer-term credentials can be at least as valuable as a bachelor's
degree.
In reauthorizing Perkins, I would encourage the committee to build
on past successes and to ensure that every student has the opportunity
to take CTE courses. Students in CTE classes have better academic
motivation, academic engagement, career skills, and overall
employability. By connecting classroom experience with real-world
achievement, CTE is directly correlated with higher graduation rates.
Money invested in CTE programs is returned back to the economy many
times over. In a recent study, the State of Connecticut found that
every dollar invested in community college coursework returns $16.40
over the course of a student's career. This translates to a $5 billion
per year return to the state. Imagine what we could achieve if such
investments were in place on a national level.
Thank you again for convening today's hearing. Perkins has
traditionally been a bipartisan endeavor, and I am hopeful that we can
continue this tradition moving forward. I look forward to working with
my colleagues on the committee to ensure that all Americans have the
training to be career and college ready.
______
Mr. Thompson. Thank you, sir.
My first question is, one of the key provisions in the
current Perkins Act is to focus on programs of study that span
secondary and post-secondary education. Have your programs
strengthened the secondary/post-secondary connection since the
2006 act was passed? Anyone that would like to field that,
please do. Dr. Harrity?
Mr. Fischer. I could address that first. It has been a
lever for change, particularly with getting higher ed to come
to the table and secondary ed to come to the table. Not that
they were reluctant partners, but we never had a common vision
around that. And that provided the common vision. Perkins
requires that the post-secondary elements of learning must
begin in the secondary ed field, and it was a perfect
opportunity, starting with tech prep, to look at articulation
agreements and now migrate to real robust dual-enrollment
programs. On the industry side, working with businesses,
apprenticeship programs that can start in high school and move
towards a full apprenticeship license. Things like that have
really sprung up since 2006.
Ms. Harrity. We are very fortunate in Worcester,
Massachusetts, to actually have 11 colleges and universities in
our city, so we partner and are working very closely with all
the presidents and have partnerships. For instance, at our
community college, they sent their instructor to our school
during our day and certified our allied health students to be
EMT certified, and they give our students free of charge seven
college credits. They also teach Spanish 1 and 2 during the
day, and our students earn six college credits free of charge.
In addition, we partner with Worcester Polytechnical Institute
where our students actually assisted their engineer students in
building a zero-energy solar modular home which they competed
in Datong, China, and they actually asked six of our students
and two of our instructors to go with them to China for 3 weeks
to rebuild the modular home and be part of their competition.
So that has been incredible.
Tufts University is in Grafton, which is just about 15
minutes away. They approached us. Our construction students
actually built the veterinary clinic that is at our school that
has surgical labs and X-ray machines, and we service, with the
Tufts veterinary, 250 animals to low-income families couldn't
afford proper animal care before.
Mr. Thompson. Coming back to the business and industry,
because that interface is incredibly important, I believe. That
is how we are preparing people for jobs that are there, whether
they are emerging industries, industries that are recovering,
industries that are just in a transitional phase in terms of
the workforce. So in your experience what role does business
and industry play in CTE program development and delivery and
how can we strengthen that pivotal role?
Mr. Bargas.
Mr. Bargas. Yes, sir. Business and industry is a critical
component in the development of CTE, and we spend a lot of time
developing occupational demand, statistics and forecast, so
that we can track our technical education programs based upon
the demand of the workforce. And our technical college system,
our high school system, and our Workforce Commission are
intimately involved with this, and we are now providing the
path forward to put meaningful CTE programs in place in the
State to track the occupational demand.
Mr. Thompson. I think I am probably just about out of time,
so, Chairman, if I could ask my remaining questions, I will
just submit those for the witnesses to be able to respond back
in writing, that would be wonderful. I appreciate it. Thank
you.
Chairman Rokita. Without objection. The gentleman yields
back.
Mr. Grijalva is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. Grijalva. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me, if I may,
submit for the record, if there is no objection, a statement
from the ranking member, Ms. McCarthy, and a statement from the
Association for Career and Technical Education.
[The statement of Mrs. McCarthy follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Carolyn McCarthy, Ranking Minority Member,
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education
Thank you, Mr. Chairman for calling this hearing to discuss the
issue of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs. CTE programs,
in my opinion, are critical to creating a holistic educational
experience for secondary and postsecondary students. As many of us on
the Committee understand, curriculums developed with a one-size-fits-
all mindset are not effective; and CTE is one example of the type of
instructional model that caters to the ever-evolving strengths and
interests of students. Especially when CTE programs engage in strategic
partnerships with local and national businesses, they can be tremendous
gateways to long and fulfilling careers for students.
While CTE programs remain a viable and successful model for
students to pursue traditional vocational training, there is a stigma
associated with them in that they are considered to be solely for those
who do not wish to pursue and attain their four year college degree.
However, with soaring student loan debt issues, it must be noted that
students are also taking advantage of CTE programs as a means to earn
income to help pay for their four year college pursuits as well. To
that end, I am proud to note that Nassau Board of Cooperative
Educational Services (BOCES), in my Congressional District, offers
multiple CTE programs to students, often with college agreements for
transferable credit including to our SUNY college campuses.
New York State received nearly $53 million in Perkins IV funding in
Fiscal Year 2012 and those dollars seem to be well spent as the State
achieved 90th percentile student performance achievements in math and
language arts skills. As we discuss the Carl D. Perkins Career and
Technical Education Act (Perkins IV) reauthorization, I am looking
forward to hearing from our panel of expert witnesses on how we can
improve CTE programs going forward, particularly improvements on how it
is delivered to students and ways to facilitate program partnerships
with businesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
______
Prepared Statement of the Association for Career and
Technical Education (ACTE)
Chairman Rokita and Rep. Grijalva, thank you for convening today's
hearing to launch reauthorization discussions for the Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act. This critical piece of federal
legislation is the principal source of funding for career and technical
education (CTE) program improvement and is one of the only federal
programs that builds the capacity of secondary and postsecondary
institutions to offer CTE programs that are academically rigorous and
aligned to the needs of business and industry. It is essential to
ensuring all students are both college and career ready, as well as to
meeting the needs of the country's 21st-century economy. We greatly
appreciate your attention on the Perkins Act and CTE more broadly.
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the
nation's largest not-for-profit education association dedicated to the
advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful
careers. ACTE has more than 25,000 members from across the country,
including career and technical educators, administrators, researchers,
guidance counselors and others involved in planning and conducting
career and technical education programs at the secondary, postsecondary
and adult levels.
Our members have given a great deal of thought to how we might
strengthen the federal investment in CTE through the Perkins
reauthorization. Our positions, detailed in the attached document,
reflect the belief that the purpose of the federal investment in CTE
should be clearly focused on ensuring all students have access to high-
quality CTE programs in high schools and postsecondary institutions.
Perkins should concentrate resources on building a strong system of CTE
around the country, beginning early in a student's education with
career awareness and broad knowledge and building pathways to more
specific career-readiness skills through connections among secondary
and postsecondary education and the labor market.
We know that CTE plays a critical role in developing students, with
CTE students outperforming their peers on numerous measures of academic
and workforce success. The Perkins Act has long been the foundation on
which much of this success is built, and we thank you again for your
efforts to carefully consider its next reauthorization. We look forward
to working with you and the full committee in a bi-partisan way as the
process moves forward.
The Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the
nation's largest not-for-profit education association dedicated to the
advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful
careers. With that goal in mind, we offer the following recommendations
to Congress as conversations begin on the reauthorization of the Carl
D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins Act).
Cutting across all of these recommendations must be a clear goal of
building the capacity of secondary and postsecondary educational
institutions to prepare all students for success in current and
emerging in-demand career pathways, which lead to self-sufficiency and
provide opportunities for advancement. At its core, career and
technical education (CTE) is about preparing a competitive workforce to
participate successfully in a global economy--meeting the needs of
individuals and employers.
In 2006, the last time the Perkins Act was reauthorized, key
progress was made toward these goals, including through the
introduction of Programs of Study. CTE student performance results have
been positive, and it is critical that the next Act build on current
law, by growing the successes and making careful changes to enhance
progress.
Priority 1: Redefine the Federal Role in CTE
Since its original authorization as the Vocational Education Act of
1963, the goals of the federal investment in CTE have changed
dramatically. While much of this change has been warranted due to
evolving education and economic environments, over time the purpose of
the legislation has become blurred. With more and more requirements and
ideas added to the Perkins Act in each successive reauthorization, it
now lacks a clear, consistent focus. As Congress reauthorizes the
Perkins Act in the coming years, a close examination of the exact
purpose of this legislation should occur.
Key recommendations:
Eliminate multitude of purposes under current law and focus on:
ensuring all students have access to high-quality CTE
programs in high schools and postsecondary institutions
building a strong system of CTE around the country, which
should begin early in a student's education with career awareness and
broad knowledge and then build pathways to more specific career-
readiness skills through connections among secondary and postsecondary
education and the labor market
To support the notion of a strong system of CTE around the country
and access for all, ensure that the Perkins Act remain primarily a
formula grant designed to support all CTE programs that are willing to
make a commitment to high levels of quality and continuous program
improvement.
The Basic State Grant federal-to-state and state-to-local formulas
should be maintained as drivers of efforts to ensure all students are
ready for careers. Technical provisions such as the hold harmless
should be updated to ensure equity in funding.
Priority 2: Target Expenditures
As the purpose is redefined and narrowed, so too should funding be
more targeted to ensure the most impact on students. Funds should be
clearly focused on ensuring programs meet high standards of quality and
address areas in need of improvement in order to sustain and enhance
student success. Uses of funds within the legislation should be
clearer, more exact and fewer in number than in current law. While
flexibility for state and local implementation is critical, funding
must be linked to the purposes of the legislation and the intended
outcomes.
Key Recommendations:
At the state level, better focus state leadership activities on key
responsibilities, including:
strong professional development, at both the pre-service
and inservice levels
leadership development
curriculum development
support for local development and implementation of
Programs of Study
stronger connections between secondary and postsecondary
systems, including through the development of statewide credit-transfer
agreements and data system linkages
At the local level, the current required and permissive uses of
funds should be restructured to focus solely on the following areas:
Providing career exploration coursework and career
development activities, career information, and career guidance and
counseling to students both before and during CTE Program of Study
participation.
Developing and implementing high-quality Programs of
Study, which include coherent sequences of courses connecting secondary
and postsecondary education, that are linked to labor market needs and
lead to family-sustaining wage, careers. Funding for the implementation
of such Programs of Study should be tied to the high-quality program
elements described below.
Priority 3: Define Program Quality Elements
In order to ensure that Perkins funding really is targeted to
improve CTE programs across the entire education system, a more defined
set of quality program elements should be included in the legislation.
These program quality elements should focus on essential components
that have been shown through prior research to lead to improved student
outcomes. Programs should be required to include identified elements,
or a plan to implement them, in order to receive Perkins funding, and
funding should be targeted to continuous quality improvement of these
key areas based on local needs.
Key Recommendations:
Each program funded by Perkins should focus resources on the
following elements of high-quality programs, building off the
Department of Education's Rigorous Programs of Study Framework:
Partnerships with business and industry, including
required local advisory committees
Sustained, intensive, and focused professional development
for teachers, administrators, counselors on both content and pedagogy
to ensure high-quality instruction
Alignment with rigorous, state-identified college- and
career-readiness standards, such as the Common Career Technical Core
Non-duplicative sequences of secondary and postsecondary
courses, including related credit-transfer agreements to facilitate
transition between learner levels
Teaching and learning strategies focused on the
integration of academic and CTE content
Work-based learning opportunities
Career and technical student organizations, or other
activities that incorporate employability skills such as leadership,
teamwork, and communication skills
Appropriate technology and equipment aligned with
workplace needs
Valid and reliable technical skills assessments to measure
student achievement, which may include industry-recognized
certifications
Support services to ensure equitable participation for all
students
Strong career development components
Priority 4: Ensure Relevant & Consistent Data
During reauthorization, the Perkins accountability system should be
overhauled to ensure fewer and more meaningful measures that are more
consistent across states and across federal programs. The system should
rely on data that is already available or that can be easily
incorporated into state longitudinal data systems to minimize the data
burden on educational institutions, and improve and incentivize
connections between secondary and postsecondary education and workforce
data systems.
Key Recommendations:
Include a small set of core measures that are commonly reported
across states.
Ensure that data is collected on key areas of CTE student success,
which may include but are not be limited to:
At the secondary level: Technical skill attainment, High
school graduation, successful post-high school transition
At the postsecondary level: Credential attainment,
Placement in employment, Postsecondary retention/transfer
Consider the use of indicators for reporting purposes that are not
negotiated related to performance and accountability. This reporting
should include the disaggregation of data on various student
demographic characteristics.
Revise the process for negotiating performance measures to ensure
high-performing programs aren't unfairly penalized.
Priority 5: Offer Incentives for Innovation
In addition to the foundational Basic State Grant, the Perkins Act
should be a driver of innovation around the country. ACTE proposes a
new Innovation Fund, administered at the federal level and modeled
after the recent i3 program, to identify and replicate new promising
practices within CTE or new and emerging career areas. These funds
should be over and above current funding levels and should focus on new
ideas that cannot be implemented solely with Basic State Grant funds.
Funding should be offered on a short-term basis to launch, but not
sustain, programs, and there must be recognition that some innovative
programs may not be successful.
Scalability and replicability should be key considerations, with
provisions included for the sharing of program results. As an
alternative or additional source of innovation, the current reserve
fund could be reworked to ensure a stronger focus on new ideas.
Key Recommendations:
Authorize a CTE Innovation Fund as a separate Title within Perkins.
The innovation fund should focus on:
funding the identification, development, evaluation, and
expansion of new and innovative, research- and evidence-based CTE
practices, programs, and strategies
funding the development and implementation of career and
technical programs of study in new and emerging industries at the
regional (or local) level
developing rigorous evidence of the effectiveness of
innovative strategies on career and technical education student
outcomes and CTE program outcomes
supporting the rapid development, expansion, adoption, and
implementation of tools and resources that improve the efficiency,
effectiveness, or pace of adoption of such CTE practices, programs, and
strategies.
Funds should be distributed to partnerships of LEAs, area CTE
schools, institutions of higher education, and/or postsecondary
vocational institutions, as well as other stakeholders.
Maintain the current reserve fund and add new flexibility for
states to use the fund to encourage innovative practices. Maintain
options for innovative local funding models, such as consortia and the
``pooling'' of funds among local recipients.
Priority 6: Provide the Infrastructure to Support the System
In addition to direct program support, there are a number of system
elements that must be addressed by the federal CTE law in order to
ensure high-quality CTE programs around the country. The next Perkins
Act should continue a focus on research, evaluation and dissemination
targeted toward improving practice. A strong state leadership role
should be emphasized to ensure adequate coordination and technical
assistance for local systems. Support for data and assessment systems
to ensure appropriate program measurement approaches and data linkages,
and provisions to address teacher education and recruitment needs are
also areas that should be addressed.
Key Recommendations:
Support the continuation of a national research center for CTE
focused directly on CTE research, dissemination and technical
assistance, particularly in high-priority areas such as teacher
preparation and recruitment.
Ensure national activities funds are available to expand and scale-
up quality data systems, such as through the creation of national
exchanges.
Maintain funding for state leadership and administrative
activities, including the state match and maintenance of effort
requirements.
______
Chairman Rokita. Without objection.
Mr. Grijalva. And if at this point I would yield my time to
Ms. Davis for any questions and comments she might have.
Mrs. Davis. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
You have all touched on so many important areas, and thank
you so much. I think we often worry about how we can bring
things to scale, how we can take the great expertise that comes
with principals and with educators in our system and kind of
expand those and make sure that they really reach all children
with the quality that we are looking for here.
So when we think about those partnerships, and we know we
are obviously dealing with what I have always found to be some
very, very passionate teachers in this field, and yet what is
it that you believe the Perkins Act can do to drive the best in
professional education in this area, as well as expanding those
partnerships? How would you like to see that? Is it a
combination of resources, is it a combination of rewards and
grants that highlight the best practices? How do we redo this
to make certain that it is getting at what you all have
presented today?
Ms. Harrity. The Perkins Grant is essential for the
functioning of our school. For instance, in the biotechnology
program our business and industry in central Massachusetts, it
was essential that we are creating a pipeline for those jobs.
So through Perkins money we actually hired a Ph.D. from UMass
Medical School and started a biotech program with the seed
money. Since then our district has committed two additional
teachers. We had the first graduating class, and our students
are all going into STEM majors which is fantastic.
What I would recommend is that there are less requirements
for the money in regards to having some more flexibility. A lot
of the money is spent on professional development, which is
essential for our especially technical teachers to stay current
in business and industry expectations, but the ability to use
the money in various ways would be very helpful.
Mr. Britt. I would just add that I think that the Perkins
Act does so many important things, but I think there is an
opportunity to stimulate innovation in an asymmetrical way by
utilizing some nontraditional practices like innovation grants
and prizes that would attract not just traditional CTE leaders
and innovators to the table, but also people from outside
industry. I think that one of the lessons learned across all
sectors is you have to harness the best of the talent within a
sector, but we live in a world that is more connected, that is
more global, and there has to be opportunities for the rest of
the non-CTE education world to be part of that conversation.
And I think that there are aspects of the Perkins Act that
could be directed to innovation and that would I think create
complementary perspectives to those that the very seasoned
administrators and faculty bring today.
Mr. Fischer. I would agree with everything that has been
stated. I would add that under the current Perkins we use the
reserve funds for an innovation grant opportunity and I would
hate to lose that. But I would add that what we need to do also
is to build more robust data systems and define what data
points we are looking at and what defines success. And when we
can do that in a more common way across the States, then we can
look at informing instructional improvement, providing better
professional development, and also engaging with business and
industry to say, what is the emerging careers that we need to
develop programs for?
Mrs. Davis. Yes. Mr. Bargas, did you want to comment
quickly?
Mr. Bargas. I think they pretty well covered the topic in
terms of our partnerships we have with public education, as
well as our technical college system. I think that pretty well
covers the needs.
Mrs. Davis. Mr. Fischer, I really do believe, and we have
to collect the data, we have to be sure that it is
representative of what we are really trying to measure. And how
we do that, we would certainly welcome some input about that,
because that is critical, and we are never going to get where
we want to go, I think, without that.
I think you mentioned in Louisiana the Course Choice, Mr.
Bargas, that students have. And I am just thinking how is all
that managed? Because in order to have industries using their
equipment or engaging students at their sites, which is really
the optimum I think we can do, that takes resources, that takes
transportation dollars. So how is it that we get there--I see
my time is up--but you can----
Chairman Rokita. The gentleman's time has expired.
We will see if Mrs. Brooks will be recognized for 5
minutes.
Mrs. Brooks. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I actually think I know where Congresswoman Davis was going
because I am curious with respect to the location issues. As we
are looking at reauthorization of Perkins Act, I am curious
what you think the most important thing the Federal Government
can do to help ensure that all students have access to CTE type
of programs. As a mother of a son who graduated from high
school a couple of years ago, I wished he had done more CTE
programs. I have also been employed with the community college
system.
But my point is, going back to more with respect to my son,
large public high school, but yet CTE programs are typically
located, they are at career ed centers far away from the
traditional high school--unless you have a fabulous technical
high school, which I love that concept, but not every child is
going to choose that. And as they are exploring careers and
ideas, if they leave and go off campus for that half a day for
those programs they are missing the other college prep and
advanced placement type of courses that they need to go to
college. So I think we have a very big disconnect between our
other academic programs and these academic programs, which
people don't call them academic programs, but actually they
should be. I think we have huge branding issues, as you have
said, with CTE, but we also have these access issues for
students who can't go and explore it because then they are
getting off the college track.
And I am curious what your thoughts are and if you
understand what my frustration is about career programs being
located far away from our high schools in separate centers and
what should we be doing in the Perkins Act to fix that. Because
the programs that CTE offer are fabulous, but not enough kids
are getting the opportunity to explore them because they think
they will then get off the college track. I would like to hear
from all of you. And I love the technical high school programs,
but we can't have those everywhere to the exclusion of our
other traditional high schools.
Ms. Harrity. In Massachusetts there are over 60 vocational
technical schools, and in Worcester, although we are a career
and technical high school, we have our academics, it is a very
different model than around the country. We actually have our
students in academics 1 week and the opposite week they are in
their technical program, then the opposite week they go back to
their academics. So we have created authentic learning
experiences that are project-based learning. So what we have
done to expand that is, because we have been so successful, the
comprehensive high schools are now putting in Chapter 74
programs to give the students the opportunity to be part of the
experiences for project-based learning.
Mrs. Brooks. Okay. Outstanding.
Others?
Mr. Fischer. What a question. Multiple levels of this. So
first of all rebranding what career and tech is. It is not my
father's voc ed. What it looks like, what it sounds like, and
what it produces, the outcomes are big on that, the data plays
an important role in that, dual enrollment plays an important
role in that. Recognizing that the delivery of CTE can take
multiple methods, anytime, anywhere learning, virtual blended
learning. Rather than students in many of our areas hopping on
a bus every day, we can make better use of virtual and blended
learning, for instance.
We can also recognize that some of that learning doesn't
take place within the walls of a school, work-based learning
experiences. But really saying this is the 21st century
programs, they are rich in academics, rich in experience, and
heavily backed by business.
Mrs. Brooks. How would you rename it, rebrand it? I
actually think that is part of the problem. Like you mentioned,
calling it vocational education I think is taking us back
decades and I think it is a huge problem for young people. And
so whether it is a comprehensive high school, a tech, I am
curious what you all think it ought to be renamed.
Mr. Britt. Well, two thoughts. First of all, there are
5,000 career academies in the United States, but DOE's
definition of a career academy is a school within a school
where there is both a traditional school and, whatever the
right term is, vocational school. The future model needs to be
the technology-enabled career and college readiness academy.
Mrs. Brooks. Thank you.
Mr. Britt. It should be ``and'' not ``or.'' And that is an
important distinction. And the project-based learning models
that leaders like Dr. Harrity and others are bringing to life
actually makes that an ``and,'' not an ``or'' proposition,
because it is an inquiry-based teaching model that allows you
to solve problems and it begins to not eliminate the separate
disciplines, but it begins to integrate the disciplines into
real world, problem solving-based approaches.
As far as the larger issue of branding, in the submitted
remarks I did note an example, which is certainly a
contemporary one, which is the ``got milk'' campaign. And there
is a white space, if you want to put a little marketing
parlance, there is a white space available to rebrand this
field and own the jobs brand. And I think the opportunity is to
bring private sector together, we have a vested interest in an
outcome such as this, and really begin to rethink and
reposition the brand and the marketing. Just like the ``got
milk'' campaign worked----
Chairman Rokita. The gentlewoman's time has expired. The
chair recognizes himself for 5 minutes. Continue on, if you
will, please, if you have anything else to add.
Mr. Britt. My remarks are fine.
Chairman Rokita. Mr. Bargas, do you have anything to add to
Ms. Brooks question?
Mr. Bargas. To address the issue of facilities and where
they are located, we have taken a hard look at identifying high
schools across the State that have either mothballed technical
labs, whether it be in construction, whether it be in
automotive or health care, and working with the technical
college system and the other partners we have laid out a plan
by which we can go out individually and try to reinvigorate
these programs throughout the high schools.
In addition, we have passed a huge bond issue to improve
the locations of the technical college system, and we will be
doing a lot of new construction. But the key is bringing it
back into the high schools and not reducing the rigor of the
curriculum, because that is key, and we don't think that that
is even a topic for discussion. You have got to keep the rigor,
but you have got to offer the technical education as well.
Chairman Rokita. Thank you for that.
What I am going to do now is read my question into the
record. I am going to ask each of the witnesses to respond in
writing, if you would. And then I am going to yield the rest of
my time to Mr. Grijalva so he can get some questions in.
So the question is, how can the Federal Government support
more consistency throughout CTE programs without overburdening
State school districts or institutions? So if you wouldn't
mind, you have been great witnesses, your opinion is obviously
valued, if you could respond to the committee that would be
appreciated.
And then with that I yield the remainder of my time, 3
minutes, 20 seconds, to Mr. Grijalva.
Mr. Grijalva. Thank you very much.
And one of the questions in writing, in particular to Ms.
Harrity and Mr. Fischer, is the impact of sequestration, what
has it meant to your high school, and what has it meant to
programs in Vermont? And that could be something that the
committee can receive in writing.
Let me just, a general question for anybody that wants to
answer. As we look forward to the reauthorization of the
Perkins Act what is the most important thing the Federal
Government can do to help ensure that students have, all
students have access to high quality CTE programs, and what are
some of the recommendations or some of the ideas that you might
have as we go through this process? That is open to anyone.
Ms. Harrity. My recommendations for the Perkins, I think
the grant in itself is very supportive of career and technical
education, the vocational school. We are able to use the
professional development and buy equipment. If we could be more
flexible in the spending. It is really hard to stay in the 21st
century with equipment and technology constantly changing. We
would be in support of having some more flexibility in regards
to the funding stream and where we could spend the moneys.
Mr. Grijalva. Mr. Fischer.
Mr. Fischer. I would add to that creating or ensuring the
maintenance of the ability to be flexible and innovative within
this. We can follow data once again to look at high-skill,
high-wage, high-demand careers, but many times that data only
reflects existing industries. We really need to look at the
horizon as to what is emerging. And that really takes a
concerted effort with business and industry, higher ed, and all
sectors of the economy.
Mr. Grijalva. Mr. Bargas, and in particular because of the
background in your testimony, everybody agrees the importance
of work-based training with CTE. I am curious, what are your
thoughts about strengthening in this process the role of
apprenticeship options for the students in the program that
they are studying?
Mr. Bargas. I am sorry, sir, could you repeat that?
Mr. Grijalva. How do you strengthen the use of the
apprenticeship program in the course of study for students?
Mr. Bargas. Currently our program at Associated Building
and Contractors includes a 4-year apprenticeship program. And
we also have craft training programs. The acceleration of these
learning experiences is brought on by the demand from industry
and the immediate need for training skilled craft construction
workforce.
Mr. Grijalva. My time is up. Thank you.
Chairman Rokita. The gentlemen yields back.
They have called votes. I see no other members requesting
to be recognized. With that, we are going to wrap up this
hearing. No long speech from me other than just to say a
sincere thank you for your leadership in the field. We
definitely want to continue working with you. I think on a
bipartisan basis we believe in the value of what you do, these
programs, and how integral you are, important you are to
education in the 21st century, to the success of this Nation in
the 21st century.
So again, thank you all for being here. Thank the members
for being here. Thank the witnesses for their leadership and
their expertise. And we look forward to seeing your answers to
the questions posed for the record.
With that seeing no further business before the committee,
this hearing is adjourned.
[Questions submitted for the record and their responses
follow:]
U.S. Congress,
Washington, DC, November 15, 2013.
Mr. Alvin M. Bargas, President,
Pelican Chapter Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc., 19251 Highland
Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.
Dear Mr. Bargas: Thank you for testifying at the September 20, 2013
hearing on ``Preparing Today's Students for Tomorrow's Jobs: A
Discussion on Career and Technical Education and Training Programs.'' I
appreciate your participation.
Enclosed are additional questions submitted by members of the
subcommittee after the hearing. Please provide written responses no
later than December 6, 2013 for inclusion in the final hearing record.
Responses should be sent to Rosemary Lahasky or Dan Shorts of the
committee staff who can be contacted at (202) 225-6558.
Thank you again for your important contribution to the work of the
committee.
Sincerely,
Todd Rokita, Chairman,
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary
Education.
CHAIRMAN TODD ROKITA (R-IN)
1. How can the federal government support more consistency
throughout CTE programs without over-burdening states, school
districts, and/or institutions?
REP. GLENN THOMPSON (R-PA)
1. As we look toward reauthorization of the Perkins Act, what is
the most important thing the federal government can do to help you
ensure all students have access to high-quality CTE programs?
2. Realizing that federal dollars are only a small portion of
overall CTE funding around the country, how do you use federal
resources for CTE in conjunction with state and federal resources? Why
is the federal investment in CTE important?
3. What mechanisms of the current Perkins Act have proven most
helpful as you seek to continuously improve CTE program quality?
4. One important benefit of CTE programs is helping students make
the connections between their traditional academic coursework and real-
world application of those concepts. Have your programs been able to
align academic coursework with CTE coursework to better help students
learn and apply concepts?
______
Mr. Bargas' Response to Questions Submitted for the Record
Dear Mr. Shorts, Committee Chairman Rokita and Members of the
Committee: Again thank you for the opportunity to testify before the
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education on
September 20, 2013, at the hearing entitled, ``Preparing Today's
Students for Tomorrow's Jobs: A Discussion on Career and Technical
Education and Training Programs.''
In response to Chairman Rokita's November 15, 2013 request for
responses to additional questions I respectfully submit the following:
QUESTIONS FROM CHAIRMAN ROKITA
1. How can the federal government support more consistency
throughout CTE programs without over-burdening states, school
districts, and/or institutions?
Funding such as Perkins funding must be allocated such that we
invest in high wage, high demand occupations based upon consistent
standardized methods of occupational forecasting. States must develop
fund sharing partnerships between secondary schools districts,
technical colleges, and private training providers to enhance
articulation of students course work such that studies from one
provider to the other offer more flexibility to the student and
accountability to the funding institution.
Funding must require training providers receiving funding such as
Perkins to prove that the monies are being spent on high demand
training and that training meets or exceeds industry based standards
that lead can lead to degree or industry recognized certification
without sacrificing rigor in the curriculum.
Also, the federal government can assist in sharing and implementing
best practices that occur nationwide, such as responding to social-
economic-geographic demand and making technical training partnerships a
valued priority.
QUESTIONS FROM REPRESENTATIVE GLENN THOMPSON (R-PA)
1. As we look toward reauthorization of the Perkins Act, what is
the most important thing the federal government can do to help you
ensure all students have access to high-quality CTE Programs?
First, the federal government needs to ensure that those receiving
Perkins funds are spending those dollars in the most effective way.
Once again, monies should go to support programs whose standardized
curriculum leads to degree or industry recognized certification in high
demand high wage occupations and do so without sacrificing rigor and
demand. If schools understand they will only get the money meeting
these benchmarks, they will do a better job of opening the doors for
everyone to get quality CTE.
One of the keys is the active involvement of industry in setting
priorities for technical training funding. Louisiana is in year #2 of
investing in high wage, high demand, high skill areas and investing in
partnerships between private providers and neighboring secondary
schools districts and colleges. In Louisiana we share half of the $21
Million between secondary and post-secondary in order to respond to
social-economic-geographic demand. We believe this partnering and
concentrating of funds towards achieving industry based certifications
in our high(est) occupational demand priorities has a greater impact
for students and the industries that offer the greatest career
opportunities.
2. Realizing that federal dollars are only a small portion of
overall CTE funding around the country, how do you use federal
resources for CTE in conjunction with state and federal resources? Why
is the federal investment in CTE important?
In Louisiana federal funding is leveraged, blended, and invested in
conjunction with existing state and industry resources. This holistic
approach allows us to best concentrate resources in the names of
partnerships with industry. Federal CTE funds and the procedures by
which we employ them ensure that funds are invested directly (85%) and
indirectly (supporting and administrative 15%) into the classroom .
Federal investment in CTE it is an investment that can result in the
greatest returns for our country and our states. Students that
participate in a quality CTE program graduate at higher rate and they
have a head start on a career and training that offer our students the
opportunity to achieve their American Dream.
3. What mechanisms of the current Perkins Act have proven most
helpful as you seek to continuously improve CTE program quality?
The mechanisms that are most helpful are:
Encouragements of built-in partnerships
Mandated collection & reporting of data which allows for
analysis and appraisal of performance
Network of states that sharing best practice
Mandated investment of Special Populations and Non-
Traditional Funding
4. One important benefit of CTE programs is helping students make
the connections between their traditional academic coursework and real-
world application of those concepts. Have your programs been able to
align academic coursework with CTE coursework to better help students
learn and apply concepts?
Yes, Louisiana's public education providers of CTE are working
harder than ever to expand our partnerships with business and industry
groups such as Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. and state
workforce and economic agencies to align our career pathways. For
example, selection of high wage, high demand, and high skill areas for
partnership are predicated on career pathways. We continue to refine
these processes so that colleges/secondary technical education
providers can better align with industry standards. This is key to
effectively matching our training requirement to achieve industry
expectations which ultimately leads to employment in high wage careers.
This important concept should be an everyday occurrence in the
academic world. Every course a student takes should emphasize real
world application. The programs offered through our high school dual
enrollment programs will have core academic classes that are directly
related to the career path the student chooses.
I hope the Committee finds the above responses helpful in their
work on improving our country's career and technical education
opportunities. I would like to acknowledge Robert Clouatre, Associated
Builders and Contractor, Inc. Director of Education and Jimmy Sawtelle,
Louisiana Community and Technical College System Sr. Vice President for
Workforce Solutions for their contributions to my testimony and the
above responses for the record.
Please do not hesitate to call upon us if we can be of further
assistance.
______
U.S. Congress,
Washington, DC, November 15, 2013.
Mr. Frank Britt, Chief Executive Officer,
Penn Foster Inc., 925 Oak Street, Scranton, PA 18515.
Dear Mr. Britt: Thank you for testifying at the September 20, 2013
hearing on ``Preparing Today's Students for Tomorrow's Jobs: A
Discussion on Career and Technical Education and Training Programs.'' I
appreciate your participation.
Enclosed are additional questions submitted by members of the
subcommittee after the hearing. Please provide written responses no
later than December 6, 2013 for inclusion in the final hearing record.
Responses should be sent to Rosemary Lahasky or Dan Shorts of the
committee staff who can be contacted at (202) 225-6558.
Thank you again for your important contribution to the work of the
committee.
Sincerely,
Todd Rokita, Chairman,
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary
Education.
CHAIRMAN TODD ROKITA (R-IN)
1. How can the federal government support more consistency
throughout CTE programs without over-burdening states, school
districts, and/or institutions?
REP. GLENN THOMPSON (R-PA)
1. As we look toward reauthorization of the Perkins Act, what is
the most important thing the federal government can do to help you
ensure all students have access to high-quality CTE programs?
2. Realizing that federal dollars are only a small portion of
overall CTE funding around the country, how do you use federal
resources for CTE in conjunction with state and federal resources? Why
is the federal investment in CTE important?
3. What mechanisms of the current Perkins Act have proven most
helpful as you seek to continuously improve CTE program quality?
4. One important benefit of CTE programs is helping students make
the connections between their traditional academic coursework and real-
world application of those concepts. Have your programs been able to
align academic coursework with CTE coursework to better help students
learn and apply concepts?
______
Mr. Britt's Response to Questions Submitted for the Record
CONGRESSMAN ROKITA
1. How can the federal government support more consistency
throughout CTE programs without over-burdening states, school
districts, and/or institutions?
Consistency is important for any successful government program, and
we believe a strong foundation for consistency already exists within
the US DOE 10 Component framework emphasizing strategies that improve
alignment between secondary and postsecondary systems, such as
statewide articulation agreements, transcripted postsecondary credit,
and stackable credentials. The Framework is viewed by states, school
districts and institutions as a guideline that helps create, sustain,
and grow Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. Continuing to
review, modify, and update the framework will result in increased
consistency throughout CTE programs and improved alignment with
industry standards, credentials and overall job market needs.
There are three areas where consistency can be improved:
1. High-quality CTE programs--Federal CTE legislation should focus
on promoting excellence in CTE. To that end, the National Research
Center for Career and Technical Education (NASDCTEc) believes that more
specificity is needed to define elements that are necessary to ensuring
high-quality programs. Research by the NASDCTEc underscores our
recommendation that federal funding should be delivered through
rigorous programs of study, as defined by the Office of Vocational and
Adult Education's 10 component framework. The law should emphasize
strategies that improve alignment between secondary and postsecondary
systems, such as statewide articulation agreements, transcripted
postsecondary credits, and stackable credentials. High-quality CTE
programs should also expose students to employment and leadership
opportunities, for instance, through work-based learning and
participation in Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs).
Federal funds should be distributed only to state-approved, rigorous
CTE programs of study.
2. Promote Data Uniformity--Despite significant spending on CTE
across the High School, Technical College and Career School sectors,
the quality of unit-level and aggregate data on spending and student
achievement is often elusive, contradictory, or out-of-date. For
example, the basic definition of who and what is a K-12 CTE student
varies across states and districts. Is a CTE student a ``CTE
concentrator'' who takes 4-6 CTE courses in one area, or is it any
student who takes any CTE course? The definition of what constitutes a
CTE course varies across states, districts and even schools. A world-
class educational system cannot be modernized without better data and
consistency for the sake of benchmarking and performance improvement
management on behalf of students and investors. There are substantial
private sector innovations in data science that can allow for
harmonization without forcing one-size-fits-all. For example, Linked In
recently launched University Pages, and around 1,500 schools have
already adopted them, helping build visibility to their student bases.
The core challenge of that project was successful data harmonization.
Similarly, inconsistencies in how and who provides tracking and
reporting costs impact how a given state's delivery system is set up:
e.g., New York has a regional service center model (BOCES) that
delivers some (but not all) CTE programs for its member school
districts. Other states deliver CTE programs in comprehensive high
schools. Those variables impact administrative, transportation,
instructional, and capital costs.
The government must work to provide a framework for a CTE
enterprise that can work as a blueprint and also work to achieve
greater data harmonization, data transparency, and fact based results.
The lack of data undermines students, employers and governments'
ability to maximize the return on CTE investments.
3. Use of Data Dashboards--Use reliable, valid, and educator-
friendly ``data dashboards'' such as the Lexile Framework for Reading
and the Quantile Framework for Mathematics to monitor and report on an
ongoing basis student progress toward proficiency and preparation for
the workforce. The data dashboards use statistically-valid instruments.
CONGRESSMAN THOMPSON
1. As we look toward reauthorization of the Perkins Act, what is
the most important thing the federal government can do to help you
ensure all students have access to high-quality CTE programs?
The three most important things that the federal government can do
are (1) recognize innovative, technology based solutions from both the
for-profit and non-profit community to resolve equity issues in both
urban and rural environments; (2) reward and provide funding based on--
not just CTE enrollments--but on CTE program completion. Some states
(e.g., New York) provide a CTE ``endorsement'' for successful
completion of a requisite number of courses in a given career area. The
key is a fair reward formula that acknowledges differences, and is not
a one-size-fits-all approach; (3) earmark funds for professional
development of CTE educators. When educators are able to stay current
in their industry, the students benefit.
The federal government should limit the amount of regulatory
language in rfps that in some cases shut out the most innovative
solutions that come from industry (outside of not-for-profit), and
increase regulatory guidelines that favor lowest price submissions in
response to rfps. Race to the Top competitive grants are a great
example of rfps including language that basically translated the award
going to the lowest bidder (e.g. NY curriculum rfp, TN evaluation
system rfp, etc.)
The federal government should look at the NASDCTEc recommendation
for Innovation funding. The next iteration of federal CTE legislation
should allocate new formula funding, above and beyond the basic state
grant, to states that incentivize innovative practices and solutions at
the state and local levels. Successful innovations should be scaled up
using the basic state grant funds.
In short the federal government can be a catalyst for spurning
innovation. The assumption that all CTE must be delivered in a ground
based school setting is inconsistent with 21st century learning. The
reality is that there are many places and ways that students can attain
practical experience and career training and those alternatives should
be encouraged, whether it takes place online, in actual workplaces or
in a traditional school setting.
2. Realizing that federal dollars are only a small portion of the
overall CTE funding around the country, how do you use federal
resources for CTE in conjunction with state and federal resources. Why
is the federal investment in CTE important?
Insist that Perkins funds be used by states in the most effective
and efficient ways practical. For example, Effectiveness and Efficiency
Framework: A Guide to Focusing Resources to Improve Student Performance
outlines a framework that can be used to:
1. guide schools and districts as to which tools, strategies,
professional development, procedures, organization of instruction, etc.
they should use
2. serve as a vehicle to compile a national repository of best
practices for efficiency and effectiveness
3. guide policy formulation at the district and state levels, based
upon #2 above
In the 21st century there is no longer one path for every
individual to pursue in education. Alternative pathways, as outlined in
the Pathways to Prosperity Report published by the Harvard Graduate
School of Education, need to be embraced and encouraged by the federal
government. Continued support of the Perkins Act, coupled with new
innovations, is a significant market signal to educators and industry
alike that CTE remains important.
It is important to note here that districts still heavily rely on
CTE federal funding in order to support their programs given the
constant challenges tied to local and state budgets--there is local and
state funding, but it is not consistent and not appropriated on an
annual basis. A key issue in the nation's largest districts is
increasing high school graduation rates and providing students with
career and/or college ready skills. As school districts carefully
examine how to best utilize their local, state and federal funding in
order to address both critical issues, it is important to understand
the importance of CTE federal funding because it can only be used for
CTE initiatives. CTE federal funding provides a critical foundation for
districts to prioritize effective CTE programs that would otherwise not
exist if it weren't for Perkins funding.
3. What mechanisms of the current Perkins Act have proven most
helpful as you seek to continuously improve CTE program quality?
Programs of study are the best way to continuously improve. They
incorporate secondary and postsecondary education elements into a
coordinated, non-duplicative progression of courses leading to an
industry-recognized credential, certificate, or degree. This allows for
career schools like Penn Foster to continuously improve our programs of
study through reviewing our framework and making necessary adjustments
based on employer needs that align to better outcomes for our students.
4. One important benefit of CTE programs is helping students make
the connections between their traditional academic coursework and real-
work application of those concepts. Have your programs been able to
align academic coursework with CTE coursework to better help students
learn and apply concepts?
While not funded under the Perkins Act, Penn Foster's collaboration
with Job Corps is just one example of a commitment to education
innovation in career technical training with students who have
struggled in the traditional system. Both Penn Foster and Job Corps are
focused on bringing professional and educational opportunities to at-
risk students and those who have not had success in the traditional
system. Penn Foster operates in 60+ of Job Corps' 125 centers around
the nation, implementing a self-paced high school model and devising
various innovative hybrid courses that combine online instruction with
hands-on training. Since 2006, the partnership has worked by combining
general high school requirements such as math or science with electives
in a career track of the student's choice. Run simultaneously, Penn
Foster provides the materials to help the students receive their
diploma, while Job Corps provides them with the practical career
training and support. An instructor is present at all times and helps
the student decide on and prepare for their next exciting step, whether
it's a job or college. When they complete the program students leave
with more than just a diploma, they have a skill set that can help lead
to a better life.
Given the dynamic nature of the marketplace, it is more important
than ever for educators to provide employment-focused education. As
students look to train-up and acquire practical and marketable skills,
educators must respond in kind by adjusting their methods to be more
learner-focused. Ideally, the future of education will blend online and
traditional learning experiences and be flexible, so that the material
is available to the student on his/her own time and teaching and
engagement is saved for the classroom.
Penn Foster's partnerships with businesses provide students with
invaluable opportunities to gain practical experience in addition to
their education pursuits. For example, in the Vet Tech market we help
place students with ``hands-on'' externships with two of the largest
veterinary hospitals in the US: Banfield and VCA. Similarly, we have
developed a program that places our Pharmacy Technician students into
externships with CVS. These partnerships and others expose our students
to the very best that private industry can offer in their fields, while
developing the skills they need to find gainful employment soon after
completing their matriculation.
______
U.S. Congress,
Washington, DC, November 15, 2013.
Mr. John Fischer, Deputy Commissioner,
Transformation & Innovation, Vermont Agency of Education, 120 State
Street, Montpelier, VT 05620.
Dear Mr. Fischer: Thank you for testifying at the September 20,
2013 hearing on ``Preparing Today's Students for Tomorrow's Jobs: A
Discussion on Career and Technical Education and Training Programs.'' I
appreciate your participation.
Enclosed are additional questions submitted by members of the
subcommittee after the hearing. Please provide written responses no
later than December 6, 2013 for inclusion in the final hearing record.
Responses should be sent to Rosemary Lahasky or Dan Shorts of the
committee staff who can be contacted at (202) 225-6558.
Thank you again for your important contribution to the work of the
committee.
Sincerely,
Todd Rokita, Chairman,
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary
Education.
CHAIRMAN TODD ROKITA (R-IN)
1. How can the federal government support more consistency
throughout CTE programs without over-burdening states, school
districts, and/or institutions?
REP. GLENN THOMPSON (R-PA)
1. As we look toward reauthorization of the Perkins Act, what is
the most important thing the federal government can do to help you
ensure all students have access to high-quality CTE programs?
2. Realizing that federal dollars are only a small portion of
overall CTE funding around the country, how do you use federal
resources for CTE in conjunction with state and federal resources? Why
is the federal investment in CTE important?
3. What mechanisms of the current Perkins Act have proven most
helpful as you seek to continuously improve CTE program quality?
4. One important benefit of CTE programs is helping students make
the connections between their traditional academic coursework and real-
world application of those concepts. Have your programs been able to
align academic coursework with CTE coursework to better help students
learn and apply concepts?
REP. RAUL GRIJALVA (D-AZ)
1. Mr. Fischer, what has been the impact of sequestration on CTE
programs in Vermont?
______
Mr. Fischer's Response to Questions Submitted for the Record
CHAIRMAN ROKITA
1. How can the federal government support more consistency
throughout CTE programs without over-burdening states, school
districts, and/or institutions?
A recent Organization for Economic Co-operation (OECD) report found
that while the United States has some of the best Career Technical
Education (CTE) programs in the world, the quality of programs
throughout the country is often sporadic. The decentralized nature of
the CTE system in the U.S. is at once its greatest strength as well as
one of the biggest challenges. Current law supports state and local
flexibility for how to direct the use of federal funds. This built-in
flexibility helps to promote some of the most dynamic and innovative
CTE programs in the country and address State specific sector demands.
I believe this flexibility for states should be preserved. There is
however a few things the federal government can do to support more
consistent quality of CTE programs without overburdening recipients of
federal CTE funds.
The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical
Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) has recently developed the Common
Career Technical Core (CCTC), a set of common benchmark standards for
CTE. Based on knowledge and skills statements for each Career
Cluster(r), these state developed and voluntary benchmark standards
incorporate 12 Career Ready Practices, which address the skills and
knowledge that are essential to becoming career ready. The CCTC would
serve as an excellent method for introducing common expectations into
CTE curriculum and programs. This would allow for better comparisons of
student outcomes between programs, increase student mobility through
improved portability and recognition of credentials, and enhance the
sharing of best practices, particularly as students enter a globally
competitive economy.
Second, I believe that working toward common measurement and
appropriate accountability provisions is necessary. Allowing
flexibility in how to achieve the performance goals, as noted above, is
appropriate but requiring common reporting would move the system
forward.
Finally, the expansion of the reserve fund (currently limited to
10%) would allow states the ability to better promote innovation,
scaling up of successful models and rewarding high performance. These
flexible resources could further be targeted to help rural or hard-
working but low-performing districts and colleges that may receive a
very minimal amount of funding through the formula.
MR. THOMPSON
1. What is the most important thing the federal government can do
to help ensure all students have access to high-quality CTE programs?
Ensuring equitable access to high-quality CTE programs is, and
should continue to be, a priority for a reauthorized version of
Perkins. To that end, formula grants provide a baseline of funding to
most communities across the country. However, over the last decade the
federal investment in CTE has declined precipitously. Increasing the
federal investment in Perkins would expand the number of programs and
students that could be served. In an era of accountability, we know the
Congress is faced with difficult decisions on where to direct limited
resources. Perkins is a proven, successful program. Perkins
demonstrates a positive return on investment, helping more students
graduate high school (when compared to the national average),
transitioning more students to postsecondary education and providing
students with the skills, knowledge and experience to be well-prepared
for today's global economy. Regrettably, the reduction in funding has
resulted in programs shutting down across the country at a time when
our students, employers and economy need more CTE not less.
2. Realizing that federal dollars account for only a small portion
of overall CTE funding around the country, how do you use federal
resources for CTE in conjunction with state and federal resources? Why
is federal investment important?
The investment the federal government makes in Perkins is
ABSOLUTELY essential to the continuation of CTE programs across the
country. While the funds have regrettably been cut and their real value
diminished over time, the need for these funds couldn't be greater. In
some states, the federal Perkins funds are the largest investment in
CTE programs. In other states, Perkins is a smaller investment than
state funds for CTE. Yet, this does not diminish the role and leveraged
purpose of Perkins. Perkins funds incentivize innovation, improvement
and focus on needy student populations while State funds many times
maintain existing programs. If these funds were to go away, programs
and supports and valuable innovation would go away.
Second, federal funds have an express purpose of providing access
to CTE programs across an entire state. State and local funds
supporting CTE vary significantly in amount but also in how the funds
are distributed. In some states, it is the responsibility of the local
community to raise funds for CTE programs. This means that the wealthy
districts have CTE programs but poor or rural communities go without.
The federal funds are essential to ensuring equitable access to high-
quality CTE. Right now we are not meeting this mission fully because
the federal funds do not go as far as they used to.
Federal investments via the Perkins Act have acted as a catalyst
for program improvement and innovation even while those investments
account for a smaller portion of overall CTE program funding than that
provided by states. Although Perkins funds account for less than 10
percent of all investments in CTE nationally, they remain a driving
force behind program innovation and improvement. A recent study by
NASDCTEc found that Perkins is the major driver for evaluation and
monitoring of the quality of secondary CTE programs and as such, has an
impact far exceeding the actual dollars sent to states and locals.
Further, the federal funds at the postsecondary level are essentially
the only funds the community and technical colleges receive that can be
dedicated to program development. Finally, Perkins is the only federal
investment that has at its mission connecting and funding secondary and
postsecondary programs.
Finally, through the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) provisions and the
state match requirements in current legislation, states have been able
to use federal funds to leverage additional resources outside of the
Perkins Act. This would not be possible without continued federal
investment in CTE and is a compelling argument for continued federal
investment in CTE.
3. What mechanisms of the current Perkins Act have proven most
helpful as you seek to continuously improve CTE program quality?
Currently, the Perkins Act requires states to have at least one
Program of Study (POS) in order to receive funding. Programs of Study
are an effective tool for ensuring federal funds supports the
development of rigorous CTE programs that lead to positive student
outcomes. This is accomplished by linking secondary and postsecondary
learner levels in a non-duplicative sequence of courses, which
ultimately lead to a postsecondary credential or certificate.
Continuing to develop and improve upon the POS model--primarily
through the adoption of the U.S. Department of Educations' Office of
Vocational and Adult Education's ten component framework for rigorous
Programs of Study--will help improve CTE program quality on the whole.
We would recommend that all Perkins funds be required to be delivered
through comprehensive Programs of Study aligned to regional, state or
local economic priorities.
Another useful tool is the reserve fund. By allowing states to
focus the reserve fund on priority populations and needs, states have
been able to make great advances in preparing students for the
workplace and postsecondary education. Increased flexibility in the use
of the reserve fund, as well as a greater portion of the funds being
allowed to be distributed via the reserve fund would go far to give
states the authority to better meet it workforce, economic and student
achievement goals.
4. CTE programs help students make connections between their
academic coursework and the real-world application of those concepts.
Have your programs been able to align academic coursework to better
help students learn and apply concepts?
Vermont has made great strides in connecting academic and technical
standards and instruction but more can be done. First, we must see the
support for this connection between academics and real-world
application not only in Perkins but also in the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act. Further, supporting competency-based education
would allow for demonstration of competency and achievement through
real-world projects and activities; and we know that in the real-world
you don't separate academic work from technical work--it is seamless.
MR. GRIJALVA
1. What has been the impact of sequestration on CTE programs in
Vermont?
The Carl D. Perkins Act of 2006 includes a hold harmless provision
that does not allow a state to receive less than the amount they
received for their basic state grant allocation in fiscal year 1998.
Moreover, current Perkins law incorporates a minimum allocation
requirement, commonly known as the ``small state minimum'', that
ensures no state receives less than 0.5 percent of the overall
allocation. Both of these provisions found in Title I, Section 111,
have had serious complications with the across the board spending cuts,
known as sequestration, that were mandated by the Budget Control Act of
2011.
Total appropriations for Title I Basic State Grants under Perkins
were reduced by 5.2 percent beginning in July of this year. This
amounted in an overall reduction of $59 million in cuts to the national
basic state grant allocation. As a consequence, payments to states were
proportionately reduced between all state recipients. Perversely,
states that have experienced the most growth since 1998, and thus serve
a larger student population, have had their state allocations reduced
the most drastically because of the interplay between these two
provisions. While VT was saved from Perkins reductions using this
``small State'' clause, other States have seen damaging reductions.
Otherwise, sequestration has had an impact in Vermont on direct
services and professional learning opportunities which unfortunately
have targeted our most needy students, particularly due to the
reductions in IDEA and Title I. Our reports indicate that schools are
attempting to manage the financial impact but the burden of essential
services has shifted to state resources, at a time when we were least
prepared for this added burden.
Some anecdotal information:
1. The total monetary loss to State Title I funds was $1,218,084 or
a 3% decrease.
2. The cuts at the LEA allocation level in Title I ranged from 1%
to 15%.
3. School Improvement funds were cut by $100,000, approximately 10%
reduction.
4. For Title IIA funds, the State allocation was cut by 5.6%. The
current total State allocation is $10,199,403 to support statewide
professional learning, compared to almost $14 million in FY'09.
Thank you for the opportunity to share these additional thoughts. I
am happy to provide additional information or clarification to these
questions or other issues that the Committee is considering as it moves
forward with the reauthorization of Perkins.
______
U.S. Congress,
Washington, DC, November 15, 2013.
Dr. Sheila Harrity, Principal, Worcester Technical High School, 1
Skyline Drive, Worcester, MA 01605.
Dear Dr. Harrity: Thank you for testifying at the September 20,
2013 hearing on ``Preparing Today's Students for Tomorrow's Jobs: A
Discussion on Career and Technical Education and Training Programs.'' I
appreciate your participation.
Enclosed are additional questions submitted by members of the
subcommittee after the hearing. Please provide written responses no
later than December 6, 2013 for inclusion in the final hearing record.
Responses should be sent to Rosemary Lahasky or Dan Shorts of the
committee staff who can be contacted at (202) 225-6558.
Thank you again for your important contribution to the work of the
committee.
Sincerely,
Todd Rokita, Chairman,
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary
Education.
CHAIRMAN TODD ROKITA (R-IN)
1. How can the federal government support more consistency
throughout CTE programs without over-burdening states, school
districts, and/or institutions?
REP. GLENN THOMPSON (R-PA)
1. As we look toward reauthorization of the Perkins Act, what is
the most important thing the federal government can do to help you
ensure all students have access to high-quality CTE programs?
2. Realizing that federal dollars are only a small portion of
overall CTE funding around the country, how do you use federal
resources for CTE in conjunction with state and federal resources? Why
is the federal investment in CTE important?
3. What mechanisms of the current Perkins Act have proven most
helpful as you seek to continuously improve CTE program quality?
4. One important benefit of CTE programs is helping students make
the connections between their traditional academic coursework and real-
world application of those concepts. Have your programs been able to
align academic coursework with CTE coursework to better help students
learn and apply concepts?
REP. RAUL GRIJALVA (D-AZ)
1. Dr. Harrity, what has been the impact of sequestration on your
high school?
______
Dr. Harrity's Response to Questions Submitted for the Record
CHAIRMAN TODD ROKITA (R-IN)
1. How can the federal government support more consistency
throughout CTE programs without over-burdening states, school
districts, and/or institutions?
CTE is defined differently in most regions. In certain states CTE
is integrated with the academics in other states the students leave the
academic school and travel to a CTE center. An animal science program
in an urban school district takes on a different set of skill standards
than an animal science program in a rural school district. To define a
one size fits all standard will not work. Geography, labor work force
demands, proximity to post-secondary institutions/business and industry
all dictate how a CTE program can prepare students successfully. In my
opinion, what worked best for WTHS is increasing academic Rigor for all
students (access to Advanced Placement and college courses), increasing
Relevancy of why a student is studying/learning/doing a specific task
(why a carpenter needs to understand the equation for slope or a
cosmetology student needs to know chemistry), improving the
Relationships with business, industry, labor unions, and post-secondary
institutions so that students have access to much needed internships/
co-operative education, hours, and or dual enrollment experiences, and
schools have access to those in the fields to help shape and drive
current curricula, and also instilling in each student the
Responsibility that he/she has to the community that afforded them the
opportunity to learn a set of competencies that will lead them to a
successful placement (military, post-secondary education, and/or
career). I believe that the federal government should require targeted
outcomes to ensure CTE consistency through developing common goals
(i.e. % of successful placements, academic success, etc.) and through
encouraging Rigor (AP and college level courses)/Relevancy (academic
and CTE integration)/Relationships (advisory panels)/Responsibility
(community service). I don't believe the federal government should
design a `one size fits all' solution.
REP. GLENN THOMPSON (R-PA)
1. As we look toward reauthorization of the Perkins Act, what is
the most important thing the federal government can do to help you
ensure all students have access to high-quality CTE programs?
Simple--funding. The federal government should continue to fund the
Perkins Act and ensure that there is access to the much needed funding
to keep programs current in terms of technology and curricula. It takes
a lot of money to keep the programs running in a capacity that will
prepare a student with the technical competencies to compete in the job
market. Many of these competencies require access to the latest
technologies whether it is a CNC machine, 3D printer/scanner, tablet,
or a spectrometer. Funding should be available to supplement the state
funding. Also, many of the Massachusetts CTE programs have a waiting
list. This would indicate that more programs or space is needed.
Funding is required to expand existing schools or build new ones to
accommodate this demand.
2. Realizing that federal dollars are only a small portion of
overall CTE funding around the country, how do you use federal
resources for CTE in conjunction with state and federal resources? Why
is the federal investment in CTE important?
Federal funding is used to supplement the local budgets. These
dollars provide access to much needed instructional/technical supplies.
It also is used to provide professional development to staff that keeps
them current in their field. The monies are also used to help
struggling students with support and access to after school programs
and or career/college planning. Federal investment in CTE is not only
important but it is critical to support the infrastructure of the
United States. These dollars are helping students prepare to be
successful in their chosen careers and or college. By ensuring students
have access to CTE programs and are learning relevant skills, the
workforce will have access to skilled labor subsequently keeping
business industry from going outside the country to design/produce/sell
its wares.
3. What mechanisms of the current Perkins Act have proven most
helpful as you seek to continuously improve CTE program quality?
I believe the most useful mechanism for Perkins is the ability to
use the funding to start new CTE programs that meet the local and state
needs for business and industry. A very successful example at our
school was the ability to start a Biotechnology program with Perkins
money. The money was used to hire a teacher to design a program that
aligned curriculum to biotechnology business/industry needs. The
program, in five short years, has expanded to three staff and sixty
students. All of the biotechnology students in the first graduating
class had 100% successful placement in the biotechnology field. In
addition, UMASS Medical School in Worcester, MA just gave us an
$825,000 donation to fund the expansion of this successful program.
This would have not been possible without the seed money from Perkins.
4. One important benefit of CTE programs is helping students make
connections between their traditional academic coursework and real-
world application of these concepts. Have your programs been able to
align academic coursework with CTE coursework to better help students
learn and apply concepts?
Yes, absolutely our students have made this connection. We have
worked diligently to provide time and resources to both the technical
and academic instructors to work collaboratively on integration
projects that bring the two together. Our annual science fair is
composed of projects relevant to a students' technical area of study--
one example is an early childhood education student worked with a
design and drafting student and a machine tool technology student to
design an educational toy for pre-school aged children. The design
received a patent. Additionally each summer, instructors (academic and
technical) are encouraged to participate in an externship with a local
entity (business/industry) to learn what it takes to be successful.
They then bring this newfound knowledge back to the classroom in the
form of updated/relevant curricula.
REP. RAUL GRIJALVA (D-AZ)
1. Dr. Harrity, what has been the impact of sequestration on your
high school?
At WTHS, we have not felt the impact of sequestration. However, we
know that it has impacted our city as a whole and we anticipate that
the ripples will eventually reach us.
______
[Additional submissions for the record from Chairman Rokita
follow:]
September 20, 2013.
Hon. Todd Rokita, Chairman; Hon. Carolyn McCarthy, Ranking Member,
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education,
U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.
Dear Chairman Rokita and Ranking Member McCarthy: Thank you for
holding today's subcommittee hearing on ``Preparing Today's Students
for Tomorrow's Jobs: A Discussion on Career and Technical Education and
Training Programs.'' The Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC)
appreciates this subcommittee's attention to the need to improve access
to and emphasis on career and technical education and training in
primary and secondary schools. We respectfully submit the following
comments for the hearing record, which represent our thoughts on this
matter.
I. The electrical contracting industry needs to fill good paying jobs
IEC is a national trade association representing more than 3,000
merit shop electrical and systems contracting companies employing over
100,000 individuals across 56 chapters. Electrical workers are well
paid, with the median income of electricians being over $48,000 per
year.
The industry is recovering and the demand for electricians is up.
However, our current workforce is reaching retirement age and many
electricians left the industry during the recent recession. We are
having difficulty finding the qualified individuals we need to fill
those positions. Projections by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
indicate that our industry's growing shortage may rise to a deficit of
over 150,000 workers by the year 2020.
II. IEC is a longstanding leader in educating the next generation of
qualified, successful electrical workers. But, entry level
workers must be properly prepared
The electrical industry is highly technical. Contractor personnel
have to be able to conduct complex circuit calculations, read and
interpret complex technical specifications and building codes, evaluate
field conditions, and command knowledge of basic physics, mechanics,
and environmental issues to design and install workable electrical
systems. Electricians must have advanced education, which a four year
college degree does not provide. They must have a strong K-12 education
and obtain specialized training. Such training can be provided through
an unstructured program of study through a community college or trade
school, or through a rigorous U.S. Department of Labor Registered
Apprenticeship program such as is conducted by IEC.
In order to successfully enter an electrical education program--
either through a registered apprenticeship or through community college
or trade schools--students must possess several important qualities.
Entry-level students must have a strong grounding in STEM subjects
including basic and applied mathematics through at least Algebra I and
basic physical sciences, as well as proficiency in reading and
analytics. Further, they must have received basic life skills training
and basic employability skills training.
Successful candidates must be able to conduct some physical tasks,
such as climbing ladders and lifting at least 50 pounds on a regular
basis. They must be mechanically inclined and able to work with their
hands. And, most importantly, they must be interested in pursuing a
career in the electrical industry and be willing to take direction and
learn.
IEC's electrical education program is equipped to provide students
with the advanced education necessary.
III. High schools must increase their emphasis on building basic STEM
and employability skills to prepare students for both college
and career entry.
Unfortunately, our education system is myopically focused on
preparing students for a four-year college degree. As a result, far too
many leave high school without basic STEM education, life skills, and
employability training. We are concerned that our system is so focused
on churning out college graduates that high schools have excluded
teaching the basics necessary for life and for any occupation. On a
national basis, we see young people coming in our educational program
requiring significant remediation to bolster their basic math skills
and reading. At the same time, high schools have cut funding to labs,
workshops, and applied learning programs. Students are leaving school
with limited mechanical ability and technical skills necessary to
pursue many successful careers.
IEC firmly believes that advanced education takes a variety of
forms--and is not limited to a college degree. In fact, IEC is a
believer in lifelong learning. Nationally, IEC's registered electrical
apprenticeship education program has been evaluated by American Council
on Education (ACE) and is recognized for 37 semester hours towards
college credit. At the local level, a number of IEC chapter educational
programs have individually negotiated articulation agreements with
local community colleges. IEC also strongly supports the Registered
Apprenticeship-College Coalition recently established by Departments of
Education and Labor as a stepping stone for people that want to
continue on in their quest for lifelong learning.
We believe that schools need to increase their emphasis on
education for a career, rather than education for the sake of college
preparation. The education system needs to recognize that a four-year
college is not the best investment for every individual. High school
education should be broad enough to provide a pathway to either college
or the skilled trades. Perhaps most importantly, high school teachers
and advisors need to make students aware of all career options
available to them, recognizing that students will likely hold multiple
jobs over their working career and will need to pursue lifelong
learning.
IV. The path forward will require both sufficient funding investments
in our nation's education system and support from both public
and private partnerships
A July 2013 report by the Urban Institute entitled ``Innovations
and Future Directors for Workforce Development in the Post-Recession
Era'' highlights the need for the establishment of career pathways,
industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning approaches such as
apprenticeship, the need for soft skills training, and the need for
establishment of partnerships between government and industry designed
to address these needs. IEC believes such partnerships are absolutely
critical in supporting career and technical education. SkillsUSA and 4H
are two examples of important skills-building organizations that teach
professionalism and self-pride while also preparing students for
careers in highly technical trades such as electrical contracting.
Further, the decision by many schools to eliminate their career and
technical education programs is often cost-driven and skewed by
incentives to drive students to college. Lab facilities and equipment
used to train students in technical skills require dedicated space,
unlike traditional multipurpose classrooms. Reauthorization of the
Perkins Act and increased appropriations for career and technical
education programs in schools is undoubtedly integral to improving the
skills-building and training offered at the high school level. In order
to build the skills and the workforce that our industry needs,
sustaining both Perkins and Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funding is
necessary--further, support for one should not be to the exclusion of
the other.
IEC has many more recommendations for improving partnerships
between training programs and institutions such as community colleges,
which we would be happy to provide in greater detail to this
subcommittee.
V. Conclusion
In closing, the focus of our nation's K-12 system needs to be
redirected in a way that ensures students are adequately prepared with
the basic academic education, life skills, and employability training
needed to enter post-secondary education regardless of the specific
career path they choose. As part of this, IEC strongly supports Career
and Technical Education (applied learning) not only for those
individuals that may not be suited for college but for those that
preselect a technical career path, and to teach rising graduates
integral basic life and employability skills.
Sincerely,
Alexis Moch, Vice President,
Government Affairs Independent Electrical Contractors.
______
September 19, 2013.
Hon. Todd Rokita, Chairman; Hon. Carolyn McCarthy, Ranking Member,
Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education,
U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.
Dear Chairman Rokita and Ranking Member McCarthy: On behalf of the
140,000 members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), I
would like to submit this letter for the record and commend you for
having this timely hearing on this all-important topic: ``Preparing
Today's Students for Tomorrow's Jobs: A Discussion on Career and
Technical Education and Training Programs.'' Through the Home Builders
Institute (HBI), the workforce development affiliate of the NAHB, we
are dedicated to the advancement and enrichment of education and
training programs serving the needs of the housing industry.
For more than 40 years, HBI has trained and placed thousands of
youth and adults for careers in residential construction, ensuring that
America has a skilled workforce today and for the future. HBI offers a
range of Workforce Training and Employment programs to help at-risk
youth, ex-offenders, veterans and women train and find jobs in
residential construction, serving more than 2,500 in 20 states. One of
the most successful programs is HBI Job Corps, which is a national
training program that is implemented locally, using proven models that
can be customized to meet the workforce needs of communities across the
United States. These programs prepare students with the skills and
experience they need for successful careers through pre-apprenticeship
training, job placement services, mentoring, certification programs,
textbooks and curricula. With an 80 percent job placement rate for
graduates, HBI Job Corps programs provide services for disadvantaged
youth in 73 centers across the country.
HBI also administers more than 120 NAHB Student Chapters throughout
the United States, representing more than 3,000 students from high
schools, career and technical schools, community colleges and four-year
colleges and universities. These chapters enrich the educational
experience of students enrolled in construction-related courses through
community projects, NAHB chapter participation and guest speakers.
In turn, HBI hopes to create a closer partnership between the
educational system and our industry. We are continuing to seek
opportunities to expand the existing foundation between school
officials and our industry, as the education system considers the
offering of more vocational/technical trades programs in school
curricula.
HBI, through NAHB, appreciates the opportunity to describe our
industry's tremendous investment and commitment to the workforce
training of the nation's youth.
Sincerely,
James W. Tobin III.
______
[Additional submission of Mr. Bargas, ``Building
Louisiana's Craft Workforce,'' may be accessed at the following
Internet address:]
http://www.laworks.net/Downloads/PR/WIC/
CraftWorkforceDevelopmentPlan20130617.pdf
______
[Presentation submitted by Mr. Bargas follows:]
[Louisiana Craft Workforce Development Board Presentation, October
2006]
Recommendations for Confronting the Skilled Construction
Workforce Shortage in Louisiana
The Mission
The Louisiana Craft Workforce Development Board will be a single
voice for craft workforce development in Louisiana.
The Goals
Ensure appropriate focus is given to craft workforce
development by contractors, users, government leaders, government
agencies, and learning institutions.
Foster cooperation and communication between public and
private entities engaged in craft workforce development.
Develop a consistent approach to recruiting, training, and
retaining a skilled and productive Louisiana craft workforce.
Preamble
The recognized shortage of craft workers in the construction,
maintenance, and repair industry is not a new phenomenon in Louisiana.
Although industry experts estimate that they have struggled with
workforce development issues for 20 years, the problem has taken a
dramatic turn for the worse in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Industrial labor requirements were already trending up sharply
prior to the disasters, and this trend has been exacerbated by disaster
recovery and rebuilding.
Studies by the Construction Labor Research Council show a national
need for 185,000 new skilled craft workers per year during the period
2005 to 2015.
This need for additional workers is being driven by increased
demand and replacement of workers leaving the active workforce.
Residential, commercial, utilities, heavy construction, highways,
and industrial projects in the state of Louisiana are reaching
unprecedented levels post-Katrina/Rita.
McGraw-Hill estimates that the state will need more than 90,000 new
trained craft workers over the next five years.
The Occupational Forecasting Conference predicts that some
construction occupations will grow by over 50% in the next four years
as a result of recovery-related work.
Contractors are attempting to complete projects with an inadequate
number of skilled workers, and this is causing significant increases in
project duration, overtime, and installation costs.
Public and private entities, industry associations and labor
organizations have come together to address these critical needs by
forming the Louisiana Craft Workforce Development Board.
1. Recommendations for Owner Companies, Local User Councils, and Owner
Associations
Owners must take the lead to drive workforce development in the
construction, maintenance and repair industry. The most effective and
long-lasting improvements in the industry are changes that are
supported and encouraged by the owner community, similar to the
advances in safety over the past 20 years.
Local user councils such as the Greater Baton Rouge Industry
Alliance (GBRIA), Greater New Orleans Business Roundtable (GNOBR), Lake
Area Industry Alliance (LAIA), and Southwest Louisiana Construction
Users Council (SLCUC) function as forums through which contractors,
engineering firms, and local owners (users of construction or
maintenance services) can address local issues affecting construction,
maintenance, and repair.
Owner Companies
The Louisiana Craft Workforce Development Board believes that
owners must:
Establish expectations for workforce development in
recruitment, assessment, training and retention.
Do business only with contractors who invest in workforce
development.
Make contractor commitment to workforce development a
factor in the prequalification process. Owners should require a
detailed description of the contractor's workforce-development program,
including:
The contractor's investments in workforce development.
Specific methods used to assess skill proficiencies, along
with current skills assessment results for the contractor's entire
workforce.
Documentation supporting continuous skill upgrade and
improvement.
Reserve a certain number of positions for craft workers
enrolled in active training.
Support standardized training curricula, performance
standards, and certification, such as the National Center for
Construction, Education and Research (NCCER) initiative or equivalent
national initiatives that include assessment and credentialing.
Support the development and implementation of regional and
local craft-training programs by placing construction, maintenance, and
repair decision-makers on local user councils.
Actively support contractor, contractor-association, and
organized-labor programs that enhance the image of careers in
construction, improve the recruitment of entry-level applicants, and
increase worker retention.
Work with owner associations to develop and participate in
programs that measure workforce-development effectiveness in improving
safety, quality, and productivity. Support award programs that
recognize excellence in contractor workforce development.
Local User Councils
The Louisiana Craft Workforce Development Board believes that local
user councils must:
Work with associations and labor organizations in the
delivery of workforce development initiatives.
Encourage members to make contractor commitment to
workforce development a factor in the prequalification process.
Local user councils should encourage members to require detailed
descriptions of contractor workforce-development programs, including:
Contractor's investments in workforce development.
Specific methods used to access skill proficiencies, along
with current skills-assessment results for the contractor's entire
workforce.
Documentation supporting continuous skill upgrade and
improvement.
Encourage members to do business only with contractors who
invest in workforce development.
Support standardized training curricula, performance
standards, and certification, such as the NCCER initiative or
equivalent national initiatives that include assessment and
credentialing.
Actively support contractor, contractor-association, and
labor-organization programs that enhance the image of careers in
construction, improve the recruitment of entry-level applicants, and
increase worker retention.
Work with area owners, contractors, and associations to
assess skilled craft worker availability by trade on a continuing
basis, and to develop short- and long-term projections for regional
craft needs.
Work with contractor associations to develop programs that
promote the accomplishments of the construction industry and publicize
their contributions to the community and state.
Actively participate with local contractor associations in
partnering with area school systems to:
Promote employment in the construction, maintenance, and
repair industry as a rewarding career choice.
Implement career-education curricula that have
articulation with technical and community colleges, ABC Training
Centers, and other accredited training institutions.
Develop programs that measure workforce-development
effectiveness in improving safety, quality, and productivity. Develop
award programs that recognize excellence in contractor workforce
development.
Trade and Professional Associations
The Louisiana Craft Workforce Development Board believes that
organizations such as the Louisiana Association of Business and
Industry (LABI), Louisiana Chemical Association (LCA) and Louisiana
Chemical Industry Alliance (LCIA), and the Louisiana Midcontinent Oil
and Gas Association (LAMOGA), must:
Make workforce development a priority through core values
and political action.
2. Recommendations for Contractors, Contractor Assoc., & Labor
Organizations.
Contractors and their associations are responsible for workforce
development. Recruiting, a demonstrated commitment to training, and
worker retention are contractor responsibilities. As an integral
component of workforce development, efforts must be made to improve the
image of the industry and to educate the public about careers in
construction, maintenance, and repair.
Contractors
The Louisiana Craft Workforce Development Board believes that
contractors must:
Implement workforce-development programs that include
recruitment, assessment, training, career paths, and retention.
Work with contractor associations, government entities,
and user groups to address workforce-development issues.
Utilize nationally certified programs such as the NCCER
initiative or equivalent national initiatives that include assessment
and credentialing.
Invest in training curricula, such as the NCCER initiative or
equivalent standardized curricula, correlated to assessment and
credentialing.
Develop and implement programs that are designed to
improve retention of skilled craft workers and include clearly
delineated career paths, competitive wages, and benefits such as
affordable healthcare, transferable healthcare, and portable retirement
plans.
Participate in programs that measure workforce-development
effectiveness in improving safety, quality, and productivity.
Partner with local school districts to inform
administrators, school board members, students, parents, teachers, and
counselors about career opportunities and educational requirements for
construction, maintenance, and repair.
Participate in recognized industry programs that enhance
the image of careers in the construction, maintenance, and repair
industry.
Utilize the Louisiana Virtual One Stop (LAVOS) database to
help identify people available for work.
Contractor Associations
The Louisiana Craft Workforce Development Board believes that
contractor associations, including Associated Builders and Contractors
(ABC), Associated General Contractors (AGC), and the Louisiana
Homebuilders Association, must:
Encourage their members to commit to workforce-development
programs that include recruitment, assessment, training, career paths
and retention.
Educate existing and potential members about the
importance of workforce development.
Collaborate and participate in recognized industry
programs that enhance the image of careers in the construction,
maintenance, and repair industry.
Partner with local school districts to educate
administrators, school board members, students, parents, teachers, and
counselors about careers and educational requirements for the
construction, maintenance, and repair industry.
Maintain and enhance current delivery methods to train and
certify craft workers throughout the state.
Encourage the development of innovative craft-training
delivery methods that meet the changing needs of the industry, such as
lab training, computer-based training, satellite and distance-delivery
training.
Continue to support standardized training curricula,
assessment, and certification, such as NCCER or equivalent national
initiatives.
Work with owners to develop and encourage participation in
programs measuring the effectiveness of workforce development in
improving safety, quality, and productivity.
Encourage contractors to utilize the Louisiana Virtual One
Stop (LAVOS) database to help identify people available for work.
Labor Organizations
The Louisiana Craft Workforce Development Board believes that labor
organizations must:
Support the joint participation of labor and management in
apprenticeship training, encourage employer contributions to these
activities, and measure the return on such investments.
Continue to support standardized training curricula,
assessment, and certification, such as NCCER or equivalent national
initiatives.
Encourage the development of innovative craft-training
delivery methods that meet the changing needs of the construction
industry, such as lab training, computer-based training, and satellite
and distance-delivery training.
Participate in recognized industry programs that measure
workforce-development effectiveness in improving safety, quality, and
productivity.
3. Recommendations for Public Entities
Governor
Governor's Office of the Workforce Commission
Departments of the Executive Branch
Labor, Economic Development, Social Services, Education,
and Corrections
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE)
Department of Education
Local School Boards and Districts
Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges System (LCTCS)
Board of Regents
Legislature
APPENDIX
Entities Represented
Contractor Entities
Associated Builders & Contractors, Pelican Chapter Industrial Specialty
Contractors, LLC
Edward L. Rispone, Chairman of the Management Board
Associated Builders & Contractors, Pelican Chapter Southwest Area
Shaw Group, Inc.
Allen M. McCall, Operations Manager
Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Ken Naquin, Executive
Director
Louisiana Home Builders Association, Michelle Babcock, Lobbyist
User Group Entities
Lake Area Industry Alliance, Larry DeRoussel, Executive Director
Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance
James Watkins, Contractor Operations Leader, The Dow Chemical Company
Greater New Orleans Business Roundtable, Steven R. Springer, Executive
Director
Gulf Coast Workforce Development Initiative
Tad E. Page, Project Mgr-Contractor Communications, Shaw Stone &
Webster
Southwest Louisiana Construction User's Council, Larry DeRoussel,
Executive Director
Labor Organizations
South Central Laborers Training & Apprenticeship Fund, Gary Slaydon,
Administrator/Director
Public Entities
Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Linda Johnson, President
Louisiana Community & Technical College System, Jim Henderson, Senior
Vice President Workforce Development & Training
Louisiana Department of Labor, Girard J. Melancon, Special Assistant to
the Secretary
The Louisiana Workforce Commission, N.A. ``Pete'' Darling, Employer
Liaison
Louisiana Department of Education, Patricia Merrick, Career &
Technology Section Leader
Louisiana Department of Education, John Birchman, Career & Technology
Education (Industrial)
Acknowledgements
Advantous Consulting LLC, Tim Johnson, Partner
Associated Builders & Contractors, Pelican Chapter, Alvin M. Bargas,
President, Melanie B. Searles, Director of Administration, Dr.
James Owens, Director of Workforce Development
Associated Builders & Contractors, Bayou Chapter, Ronnie Scott,
Director of Education
Gulf Coast Workforce Development Initiative Team, Tim Horst, President
Beacon Construction Company
Louisiana Department of Education, Patrick Nelson, T & I Program VITE
Certification
Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections, Whalen Gibbs,
Assistant Secretary
Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections, Kim Barnette,
Education Specialist, Office of Adult Services
National Center for Career Construction Education & Research
Gay St. Mary, Workforce Development Director, Business Roundtable Gulf
Coast Training Institute
Facilitator
SSA Consultants
Christel C. Slaughter, Ph.D.
______
[Additional submissions of Mr. Fischer follow:]
Recommendations for the Reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career
and Technical Education Act
The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins)
supports Career Technical Education (CTE) programs by strengthening
connections between secondary and postsecondary education, aligning to
the needs of the economy, and improving the academic and technical
achievement of students who choose to enroll in these programs.
The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical
Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) believes that the federal investment in
CTE legislation, Perkins, should be strengthened by re-examining and
re-framing the law to ensure equitable access to high-quality CTE
programs of study and to better position CTE to help build the
solutions needed to close the skills gap and improve student
achievement. Therefore, NASDCTEc believes that federal CTE legislation
needs a clearer focus and that its purpose should be ``to develop the
academic and CTE skills of students to ensure America's global
competitiveness through programs of study, partnerships with employers,
and further education and careers.'' These recommendations seek to
accomplish this purpose and promote innovation, accountability, and
equitable access to high-quality CTE that meet the needs of our
nation's students and employers.
Global Competitiveness
Link CTE to labor market--States are in the best position
to determine how CTE can meet the demands of their state and regional
economies. Federal CTE funds should only support high-quality CTE
programs of study that meet two or more of the following criteria: high
wage, high skill, high demand, or high growth. Definitions of these
terms should account for varying state and regional economic conditions
and labor market needs.
Rigorous standards--Consistent, quality benchmarks for
students in CTE programs of study, regardless of where students live or
which delivery system they use, are essential. Federal CTE legislation
should require all CTE programs of study to align to rigorous content
standards that are national in scope, are informed by the needs of the
workplace, and ensure excellence. NASDCTEc believes that federal CTE
legislation should encourage state adoption of rigorous college- and
career-ready standards, such as those found in the Common Core State
Standards and the Common Career Technical Core.\i\ Increased
consistency and rigor in CTE programs of study will better equip
students with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in a global
economy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\i\ National Association of State Directors of Career Technical
Education Consortium, Common Career Technical Core, http://
www.careertech.org/career-technical-education/cctc/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Innovation funding--The next federal CTE legislation
should focus on improving student outcomes through innovative
approaches and programmatic improvement. The next federal CTE
legislation should allocate new formula funding, above and beyond the
basic state grant, to states to incentivize innovative practices and
solutions at the state and local levels. Successful innovations should
be scaled up using the basic state grant funds.
Partnerships
Partnerships with business and industry--Strong
partnerships between the CTE community and business and industry are
essential to high-quality CTE programs of study. Federal CTE
legislation should require local advisory committees comprised of
employers and education stakeholders who will actively partner to
design and deliver CTE programs of study and provide assistance in the
form of curricula, standards, certifications, work-based learning
opportunities, teacher/faculty externships, equipment, etc. States
should have the flexibility to structure local advisory committees in a
way that best meets the needs of their state (in terms of governance,
funding, geographic and other influencing factors).
Consortia--Coordination and collaboration between
secondary and postsecondary partners is essential and must be improved.
The federal CTE legislation should incentivize consortia of secondary
and postsecondary eligible entities to better facilitate coordination
and transitions between learner levels. States should have the
flexibility to structure consortia in a way that best meets the needs
of their state in terms of governance, funding, and geographic factors.
Preparation for Education and Careers
School counseling and career planning--Comprehensive
counseling, including career and academic counseling, should be
expanded and offered no later than middle school. Federal CTE
legislation should provide greater support for career counseling,
including all students having an individual learning plan that includes
the student's academic and careers goals, documents progress towards
completion of the credits required to graduate from their secondary
program, and indicates the requisite knowledge, skills and work-based
learning experiences necessary for career success. These plans should
be actively managed by students, parents, and school-level personnel
and should extend into postsecondary education to ensure successful
transitions to the workplace.
Programs of Study
High-quality CTE programs--Federal CTE legislation should
focus on promoting excellence in CTE. To that end, NASDCTEc believes
that more specificity is needed to define elements that are necessary
to ensuring high-quality programs. Research by the National Research
Center for Career and Technical Education \ii\ underscores our
recommendation that federal funding should be delivered through
rigorous programs of study, as defined by the Office of Vocational and
Adult Education's 10 component framework.\iii\ The law should emphasize
strategies that improve alignment between secondary and postsecondary
systems, such as statewide articulation agreements, transcripted
postsecondary credits, and stackable credentials. High-quality CTE
programs should also expose students to employment and leadership
opportunities, for instance, through work-based learning and
participation in Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs).
Federal funds should be distributed only to state-approved, rigorous
CTE programs of study.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\ii\ Shumer, R., Stringfield, S., Stipanovic, N., & Murphy, N.
(2011, November). Programs of study: A cross-study examination of
programs in three states. Louisville, KY: National Research Center for
Career and Technical Education, University of Louisville. http://
www.nrccte.org/sites/default/files/publication-files/nrccte--pos--
crossstudy.pdf
\iii\ U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult
Education, ``Career and Technical Programs of Study: A Design
Framework.'' The 10 components are: (1) legislation and policies, (2)
partnerships, (3) professional development, (4) accountability and
evaluation systems, (5) college and career readiness standards, (6)
course sequences, (7) credit transfer agreements, (8) guidance
counseling and academic advisement, (9) teaching and learning
strategies, and (10) technical skills assessments.
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Research and Accountability
Accountability measures--Strong accountability measures
are critical to demonstrating CTE's positive return on investment. The
current CTE performance indicators should be re-evaluated to ensure
that they provide the feedback necessary for program evaluation and
improvement, as well as document CTE's impact on students' academic and
technical achievement. Federal CTE legislation should require common
definitions and measures across the states, as well as allow for
alignment of performance measures across related education and
workforce programs.
Research and professional development--Research and
evaluation are important guideposts for directing practitioners toward
effective practices and guiding state decisions on CTE. Federal CTE
legislation should support the continuation of a National Research
Center for Career and Technical Education to support CTE educators and
leaders through leadership development, quality research, professional
development, dissemination, and technical assistance.
State Leadership and Governance
State flexibility--States should have the flexibility to
determine the allocation of funds between secondary and postsecondary
education. Funding should be awarded to a single eligible agency as
defined in current law. Additionally, states should be given the
flexibility to use the reserve fund to implement a performance-based
funding system.
State administration and leadership--Strong state
leadership is critical to ensuring that states have the data systems,
standards, and partnerships to oversee the development and
implementation of high-quality CTE programs of study. Adequate
resources for state leadership and state administration, including
maintaining the state administrative match, are necessary to ensure
effective program administration and equitable access to high-quality
CTE programs of study.
The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical
Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) represents state and territory leaders
of CTE through leadership and advocacy that supports an innovative and
rigorous CTE system that prepares students for both college and
careers. CTE State Directors lead the planning and implementation of
CTE in their respective states and these recommendations reflect their
priorities.
For more information, please contact the National Association of
State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium 8484 Georgia
Avenue Suite 320, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-588-9630
www.careertech.org
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[Additional submission of Mr. Fischer, ``Reflect,
Transform, Lead: A New Vision for Career Technical Education,''
may be accessed at the following Internet address:]
http://www.cciu.org/cms/lib4/PA01001436/Centricity/Domain/148/
New_Vision_Paper_SS12-18-10.pdf
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[Additional submission of Dr. Harrity follows:]
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[Whereupon, at 10:54 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]